


To Reach You

by Ginny41



Category: IZONE (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Domestic Fluff, F/F, Fluff, Light Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-22
Updated: 2019-12-28
Packaged: 2021-02-26 01:00:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 44,392
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21894781
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ginny41/pseuds/Ginny41
Summary: Someone once told Chaewon that breaking a heart was the only way to get rid of the scar that condemn her to a life of prejudice and bad luck. Chaewon didn’t know if she believed it or not, but after meeting Minjoo, suddenly, she had the perfect opportunity to do so. But could she do it? Or was her love for Minjoo stronger than any curse?
Relationships: Kim Chaewon (IZONE)/Kim Minju
Comments: 19
Kudos: 103





	1. Reaching You

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is based on an idea that came to life inspired by the small scar Chaewon has. Many people on the 2kim server added to the basic prompt and I tried to bring it together nicely, hopefully I did it. Thanks everyone who helped!
> 
> The cover was done by my friend Guka, so double thanks to her! Just a few tips before reading: italic is for flashbacks, single lines indicate a short time skip (hours/minutes), double lines indicate big time skips (days/weeks).  
> 
> 
> [The cute scar Chaewon has, in case you've never seen it.](https://66.media.tumblr.com/f4b24c3a8bdbec4996d84d38102c7845/f2b016c3e19a842a-27/s1280x1920/bf779cfc7618bc986e4014524797b447bac1c234.png)

Letting out a yawn, Chaewon looked around the classroom with lazy eyes. It was one of the classes she liked the least already – and the semester had just started –, none of her friends was there, what meant her only human interactions were the looks people would shoot her once in a while – most curious, some hostile, but never friendly…She knew better than mind it by now.

Resting her back against the chair, she closed her eyes and let only the reddish color invade her vision – the sunlight hitting her eyelids, its warming slowly spreading through her face. Like this, it was easy to forget about the people surrounding her, maybe she should just take a nap and forget her responsibilities for a while…Unfortunately it wasn’t an option for her.

The teacher’s voice sounded a couple of minutes later, prompting her to open her eyes and go back to reality. For people like her, trying your best was often not enough, still it was all she could do and it includes paying attention to boring lessons.

Her lips formed a small pout as she opened her notebook to start taking notes, making the three small, thin lines over her upper lip more prominent – her birth scar, something so small that could be easily overlooked, still, it was the one thing that defined her for most people. Scars like hers, ‘ _marks of the unborn’_ like the elders liked to call, weren’t a common thing. Having one on your face was enough to keep most people away.

Chaewon wasn’t sure of exactly why or when the scars became such a big taboo, but since the day she was born, she was judged based on it. She would see people smile at her and come closer, just to change as soon as they noticed the little imperfection on her face, all the warmth giving place to coldness. Some people said that the ones with scars weren’t supposed to be born into this world, that’s why they were cursed with cold hearts and bad luck, leading unfortunate lives until the bitter ending – her parents would always told her this was complete bullshit, stupid old beliefs that didn’t have any base other than the fear of the unknown; her parents would also tell her she was special because of it, but she never felt like it.

Therefore, she had to work hard, harder than most, just to get the things everyone else did without much effort – Chaewon didn’t know about the other parts, but the things about bad luck were pretty accurate. Thanks to people’s prejudice she was often ignored and mistreated, and to top it she was also always prone to accidents – as if on cue, the pen just spontaneously cracked under her light grip, making her let go of it before her hands were completely covered in blue ink…The class hadn’t even started yet and she already had ruined her notebook.

With a sigh, she grabbed some tissue from her backpack – she was always prepared – to clean up the mess, throwing away the stained pages and the broken pen into a trash bin and going back to her seat with heavy steps. Knowing her luck wasn’t the best today, she kept her eyes on the floor as she walked, careful to not trip.

 **“Did you hurt yourself?”** A voice, strangely familiar, prompt her to look up only to be met by worried eyes that belong to the most beautiful face she had ever seen. Chaewon stopped in her tracks, her eyes growing wide with surprise, her heart skipping a beat with something else.

Slowly she shook her head in a negative, looking down at her own hand where a blue stain could still be seen.

 **“Great! Now come on the teacher is glaring at you!”** As if it was so natural to her, the taller brunette reached out for her hand, pulling her to the seat beside her. When she had come in? What was she even doing there?

The older girl was still in a daze as she tried to not look at Minjoo, focusing on whatever the teacher was explaining instead.

Or at least she tried to do so.

Something poked her cheek, gently, but with insistence, demanding her attention. Looking sideways, she could spot Minjoo’s mesmerizing smile that didn’t match the overall atmosphere.

 **“Stop frowning. You will scare people away.”** The girl lightly scolded her, poking her cheek yet again with the blunt end of her pencil. Of course, it only made the older frown even more.

 **“Don’t talk to me, the teacher is already glaring at us.”** She replied in an annoyed whisper. Her confusion turning into frustration. Why, out of all people, it had to be Kim Minjoo?

Minjoo’s reply was to poke her cheek again, gifting her with another annoyingly pretty smile. **“He is as blind as a bat, he is not glaring at _anyone_.”**

Although she really wanted to ignore the girl, Chaewon couldn’t help but double check – it was her second day at this class, the first was conducted by one of the teacher’s assistants, so this was her first time getting a good look at the man. A very old man. Furrowing her eyebrows, she noticed the way the man seemed to stare into the distance, rambling about the contents of some book that was old as him…Minjoo was right.

It didn’t ease her frown though. **“Then why did you tell me he was glaring at me earlier?”**

Shrugging her shoulders, Minjoo smiled sheepishly. **“Because I thought you might try to run to the other side of class if you had the chance.”** There was something more in Minjoo’s tone now as she leaned in to lightly poke Chaewon’s cheek again – with her finger this time, soft and gentle. **“I can’t let you run away again.”**

Their eyes met for a brief moment, the bright chocolate ones facing the chestnut with confidence.

 **“I didn’t run away. I just…”** Chaewon gulped down, looking away. Remembering their first meeting was enough to bring a pinkish color to her ears and a skip to her heartbeats. Why, just why it had to be Kim Minjoo?

 **“Forgot to call me for two months?”** The other girl cut her off, sounding more amused than angry. **“It’s okay, I’ll make sure you don’t forget about me this time.”** Minjoo claimed, confidence overflowing as she winked at Chaewon shamelessly. **“Just be prepared.”**

Opening her mouth to argue, the older end up just sighing. She hadn’t forgotten about the other Kim, how could she? Now more than ever she was sure she wouldn’t be able to keep Kim Minjoo out of her thoughts for a long time. Still, Chaewon knew she wasn’t supposed to stay close to this girl, she didn’t need this extra complication in her life.

That day she had to deal with Minjoo’s cheeky remarks and mischievous smiles until the end of class, yet it was only the beginning.

The slightly taller girl just followed her around, always with that annoying smile and the bright eyes that made her look like a happy fox Chaewon had seen on TV once – how could someone be this cute and annoying at the same time?

Chaewon knew that ignoring her was the best thing she could do – for the two of them –, but ignoring Kim Minjoo wasn’t an easy thing to do.

 **“Don’t you have other things to do?”** She tried to show all her annoyance in her voice, but her small voice was never that intimidating.

Minjoo’s smile didn’t change, her long strides easily matching Chaewon’s as they made their way down the corridor. **“I still don’t know my way around the campus, I thought you could show me.”**

 **“Didn’t you think about asking me first?”** Chaewon glanced at her, still refusing to slow down her pace – it was foolish of her, as if this _frog_ -like girl could get easily tired.

 **“So, you could’ve denied my request with a lame excuse?”** Arching an eyebrow, the taller girl shook her head slightly, her smile becoming a little smaller now. The younger Kim decided on changing her strategy. **“Please I don’t want to spend the day alone, Yuri is sick and I’m on my own today.”**

This worked to some extent – Chaewon did second guess before shaking her head again. **“You could just make new friends. Won’t be hard for someone like you.”**

 **“Someone like me?”** Minjoo blinked, an adorable confused look on her expressive face.

 _Someone normal_ was the first thing that came to the shorter brunette’s mind, but Minjoo was more than your average girl. **“The pretty, popular and likeable type.”** Gesturing the girl’s face, Chaewon watched her with sharp eyes. There was no reason for someone like Minjoo be following her when she could probably get a dozen of volunteer guides to show her around the campus and even pay for her lunch. **“Your type is always surrounded by people.”**

She expected Minjoo to blush and look away, her humble side coming to life like it did on their very first date – it didn’t happen. There was still a hint of pink on her cheeks as she looked up to meet Chaewon’s gaze again, but instead of embarrassment, that annoying smirk was back on her lips.

 **“So, you think I’m pretty and you like me?”** Hitting the older girl’s shoulder lightly, she came even closer so they could walk with barely any distance between them. **“Good, because I feel the same about you.”**

Now the flustered one was Chaewon, her ears warming up with embarrassment. She hadn’t mean it that way, but Minjoo wasn’t wrong, albeit Chae wouldn’t dare to admit it. **“W-What? I didn’t say that!’”**

 **“Yep you did!”** Minjoo beamed at her, interlocking their arms to make the other match her quick steps. The smirk on her face more like a childish grin now, as if she had heard exactly what she wanted – and she had. **“Now let’s go, my next class is starting soon and I still don’t know where it is.”**

Chaewon couldn’t do anything but to follow her, muttering under her breath. **“Two months of radio silence should be enough for anyone to get a hint.”**

 **“Oh, it was.”** Her words weren’t directed to Minjoo, more like her grumpy self talking to try to push away her embarrassment, but the taller woman seem to have pretty good hearing. **“I’m just purposely ignoring it.”**

Chae moved uncomfortably, trying to get off of Minjoo’s grip. That girl made no sense, nor the way her words affected Chaewon so much when they barely knew each other. Minjoo didn’t let go of her arm and she sighed in defeat. **“But why?”**

Giving her a quick glance, the taller stopped walking when they reached the exit of the building. The smile was still there, but there was a sense of seriousness in her eyes. **“Because I know you missed me too.”**

For this Chaewon didn’t have a reply, averting her eyes to her shoes. Minjoo, once more, was right. They both knew her presence didn’t really annoyed Chae, it was actually the opposite, and that’s why she was trying so hard to push her away before she couldn’t help but cling onto Minjoo too.

She wondered why the other would like that though.

Giving up on her act, she stretched her free hand with the palm exposed, before asking. **“Let me see your schedule, I can’t take you anywhere if I don’t know where you’re going.”**

Her words weren’t the answer Minjoo wanted, still it made the younger feel a little more at ease as she reached out for the piece of paper in her backpack and offered it to Chaewon to take.

They didn’t talk much after it, Chaewon only walked her to class and left after promising to come and pick her up after her own class was over – Minjoo made her promise to reply to her messages this time and the older gingerly accepted; Chaewon kept her word for the rest of the day and the ones to come, just like Minjoo expected.

* * *

* * *

To be this determined to pursue someone who didn’t seem that excited about her, may look like a dumb decision – and perhaps it was, even Yuri was looking at her weirdly at the moment.

 **“You know, when I told you Chaewon’s schedule, I thought you would just try to ‘accidentally’ bump into her in the corridors or something like that, not sign up to one of her classes when it has nothing to do with your major.”** Jo had said, narrowing her eyes in a judgmental way as she rested her chin over her crossed arms on top of the table – they were waiting for Yena and Chaewon to have lunch. **“Do you even pay attention to class?”**

 **“I can’t bump into her every day, she would just avoid me. Now I get to see her at least twice a week and, well, not really but I can always study by the books.”** Minjoo shrugged, taking a seat in front of her friend, yet keeping her eyes in the direction where Chaewon would be coming from. **“Besides, it’s extra credit.”**

Yuri rolled her eyes at her friend’s words, Minjoo wasn’t the type that goes around stalking her crush and forgetting her priorities to focus on charming someone – still, here she was acting like a complete fool. **“I just don’t get you. You said you two got along so well, but she told me you wouldn’t be seeing each other again and never tried to contact you. And you still want to pursue her?”**

 **“It’s not what you think, it’s not just a silly crush. I…”** Minjoo hesitated, fidgeting with her fingers. **“I know she is a special person and I just feel this…Connection. I just want to get closer to her.”**

Yuri gave her a puzzled look, lifting her head from the spot to lock eyes with her best friend. **“Even if she doesn’t want you to?”**

 **“No, I won’t bother her if she really doesn’t want me around.”** Grimacing, Minjoo averted her eyes from Yuri’s. Of course not, her intention wasn’t to become a nuisance in Chaewon’s life. She just wanted to give them a fair chance…Was it too much? Maybe, but she couldn’t stop herself from trying. **“But I know it’s not the case now.”** Shaking her head stubbornly, Minjoo bit down on her bottom lip, showing the insecurity she would try her best to hide from Chaewon. **“I know she felt the same way that night, she is just...Scared, I guess?”**

Yuri took in a deep breath, nodding slowly **. “Maybe you’re right and gods know how much I think you two would look good together, and how much Chaewon really could use some happiness for once. But…”** There was a moment of silent, hesitation as Jo tried to come up with the right words. She loved both girls, Minjoo was her best friend and Chaewon her beloved cousin, still she couldn’t act like there wasn’t a problem there. It would be easy to just encourage the other to go for it, still she knew that things weren’t that simple. **“Maybe you shouldn’t try so hard. You know, Chaewon has her reasons to be like this.”** Giving Minjoo an apologetic smile, she continued. **“You could easily find someone less complicated to date.”**

There was a moment of heavy, uncomfortable silence. Yuri was just stating the obvious, albeit none of them liked this truth. Minjoo was fairly popular with people, getting a date wouldn’t be hard and perhaps it would be for the best. Still, she didn’t want to look for someone else.

 **“I know, of course I know. That’s why I’m not giving up on her so easily.”** She said after a little while, her voice almost timid as she stole a look at her friend’s face, ready to get scolded – how ironic considering Yuri was the one that introduced them to begin with.

Yuri didn’t scold her, but she still looked torn about what to do. Was supporting her best friend weird dating tactics the best? She doubted. **“If this is just because that thing that happened when you were kids…”**

 **“It’s not only that.”** Minjoo cut her off right away, the stubbornness back to her voice. **“Just trust me on this one, Yul, I have a feeling Chaewon needs me and I want to be here for her.”**

Destiny had put Chaewon in her life three times now, it couldn’t possibly be just a coincidence and she was determined to not waste this chance.

_The girl a couple of meters away from her, right in her line of vision as she waited by the theater’s door, was slightly shorter than Minjoo, with dark brown hair cascading down her shoulders and bangs partially covering her sharp chestnut eyes – not enough to hide the glimpse of insecurity and nervousness on it – she was wearing simple, casual clothes with dark pants and a dark blue jacket a little too big for her that made her look even cuter. The face of pretty features was oddly familiar to her, making Minjoo take in a deep breath as their eyes met for a moment before she averted her gaze to her friend Yuri to whisper. **“What’s her name again?”**_

**_“Chaewon.”_ ** _The husky voice answered, Yuri glancing back and forth between her friend and her cousin. It was her idea to bring Minjoo with her and now she was starting to get worried about how things could turn out._ **_“She is a Kim like you.”_ **

_Minjoo nodded, her eyes going back to observe Yuri’s cousin, Chaewon. When her friend had told her she would go to a movie date with Yena, Minjoo had suggested to be their ‘third wheel’ as a joke, but to her surprise it seem to sparkle an idea on Jo’s mind. A couple of texts exchanged later, while Minjoo only watched her friend in confusion, and suddenly she was part of a double date. She wasn’t a fan of the idea at first, arguing that it would be awkward and that she wasn’t that desperate to date yet, however Yuri had insisted on dragging her to meet her cousin under the excuse that it would only be a friendly hangout and it would be fun._

_Minjoo wasn’t very convinced that it was a good idea, especially when Yuri refused to even show her a picture of the said girl, still now that her eyes were on Chaewon, she couldn’t refrain from letting a small, expectant smile appear on her face. Kim Chaewon wasn’t a rare name, but she couldn’t mistake those eyes._

_A giddy feeling filled Minjoo’s body, a childish excitement that only grew as they approach the two girls who were waiting for them in silence. Yuri taking place beside her girlfriend, Yena, right away and letting the Kims on their own to exchange awkward greetings._

**_“Nice to meet you, I’m Minjoo.”_ ** _She smiled brightly only to receive a small one in return, the other girl gingerly taking a hand to cover her face in what looked like embarrassment._

_Minjoo stepped closer offering her hand for a handshake – something odd, but she wanted to see the other properly and in this way Chaewon had no choice but hesitantly bring her hand down to give hers a gentle squeeze._

**_“I’m Chaewon, it’s a pleasure.”_ ** _Chae's voice was as small as her smile, gentle but not confident._

_Minjoo didn’t mind it, her big brown eyes inspecting the girl’s face in search of something – she found it right away. Chae must have noticed because she broke the contact, lowering her head before turning to their friends. **“Can we go in now? The movie is beginning.”**_

_Minjoo nodded in agreement, her eyes lit up as she followed the girl inside, a smile never leaving her face. She had noticed the little scar right above Chaewon’s lips on the left side of her face, it was subtle enough for it to require some attention to be spotted, but she knew where to look and thanks to Chaewon timid smile, the three lines were more evident. The other must be ashamed of it, yet Minjoo was actually happy to know her gut feeling was right._

_This girl wasn’t any Kim Chaewon, she was the one she had been looking for and she wouldn’t miss the chance of getting to know her better now._

Minjoo was taken back to reality by the sound of Yena’s loud voice greeting Yuri with her usual loving, but slightly abrupt way. The duck like also greeted her with the open smile that was her trademark, making Minjoo force a confident smile back to her face as she noticed that Chaewon was also there – much quieter than her best friend.

They exchanged a look and Minjoo’s smile automatically grew into a grin as the older girl handed her a box of milk chocolate before taking a seat beside her – Chaewon was like that, she would complain about Min following her around, but she would still pay attention to her every detail, always there whenever she needed. She might try to seem uninterested but Minjoo knew better than to believe this facade.

During the past week Chaewon had taught her everything about the campus, and even though they had very different schedules, she still accepted Minjoo requests to walk her to class – they both knew she didn’t need any help anymore –, she would make up excuses to avoid staying around the younger brunette for long but wouldn’t resist if Minjoo asked her to stay. At first Chae tried to avoid having lunch with them, but thanks to Yena’s help Minjoo managed to make the other stick around. Of course, their interactions were still small, Chaewon always lifting her defenses whenever Minjoo became a little too bold with her flirting – it still worked, she could see by the redness in the girl’s ears and the little smile she couldn’t hide –, trying to keep them in a senior-junior relationship exclusively.

But Minjoo wasn’t one to easily give up.

 **“How was class?”** She asked before after taking a sip of her milk chocolate, watching Chaewon do the same to her soda.

The older didn’t seem to mind the question replying in a flat tone. **“Normal, I guess. Yours?”**

 **“Not that great, we didn’t really do anything today.”** Minjoo tilted her head a bit, leaning her elbows on the table as she stole a look at Chaewon’s face. **“But at least I get to see you!”**

Chaewon rolled her eyes. **“You see me every day. Don’t you get tired?”**

 **“Hm, I don’t think so.”** Clicking her tongue, she leaned a little closer the other girl – good thing the other couple at the table was too busy with their usual quarrel to mind them. **“I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of seeing you.”**

Chaewon averted her gaze, pink tinting her cheeks, albeit a smirk appeared on her lips soon after. **“Even if I dressed up as a clown?”**

Minjoo made a face, hitting Chae’s shoulder lightly. “ **I’m trying here, you know. Don’t make fun of me in front of them!”** She whispered shouted, albeit it was useless as Yuri already looked at them in a funny way – she would definitely get scolded later.

 **“I’ve to practice and Yena will help me today, so I’ll see you later, okay?”** Jo said, pulling a confused Yena with her as she stood up to leave. The older girl didn’t seem to mind though, giving them a grin before following her girlfriend.

Minjoo waved them goodbye and Chaewon looked conflicted for a moment, but ended up doing the same, remaining in the same spot.

She was about to try to strike a conversation when the other girl finished her drink, Chaewon’s eyes looking somewhere else.

 **“They like you.”** Chae subtly gestured a group of freshmen that waved at Minjoo from another table. **“They won’t if they know you hang out with me all the time, you know.”**

Frowning Minjoo gave up halfway through on returning the waves, her focus back to Chaewon. **“Then they’re not worth my time.”** Her dark brown eyes inspected the other’s face, trying to understand what was going through her head – Chaewon didn’t have the smirk on her lips anymore, no smile, just an unreadable expression on her face. It was probably not the right time, still Minjoo couldn’t help but blurt out. **“Chaewon, go out with me.”**

Incredulity was clear in the chestnut eyes when Chaewon looked back at her. **“What-”**

Minjoo continued before she could say anything. **“For real, not the school cafeteria or the library. Let’s go grab a coffee or watch a movie without clowns or…”**

 **“Stop.”** Just like that Chaewon cut her off, lips into a thin line now, hands grabbing onto tightly to the empty can on her hands. **“Do you even care whether or not I say yes? You seem to have this big plan for us, but I never agreed on it.”**

Minjoo hesitated, her confidence waving at such remark. She felt the sting of guilt pinging her heart – Chaewon wasn’t completely wrong. Perhaps she was coming off too strong and not giving the other girl room to make her own decisions, just imposing her presence. **“I’m sorry.”** Lowering her head, she fidgeted with her fingers. **“I do care about what you want, I just don’t want you to deny us a chance just because you’re scared.”** Lifting her gaze, she took a deep breath, braving up. **“It’s fine if you don’t like me, but if your reason to reject me is just because of a dumb scar, that is actually pretty cute on you, I won’t accept no as answer.”**

 **“It’s not cute. Why you keep acting like it’s no big deal!”** Chaewon covered her face with her hands, clearly frustrated at the brunette’s words. However, she didn’t leave. She should have, she should just lie and tell Minjoo she disliked her very own existence, ending this little game of hers for good. But she didn’t, she just lowered her hands slowly to peak at the other girl that looked so much like a cartoon frog now – awkward and cutely timid. Her heart swelled at the sight. **“Where do you want to go?”**

Minjoo blinked, surprised. **“Y-You will accept?”**

 **“I just want to grab something to eat…”** Chae averted her gaze, before completing in a small voice. **“With you.”**

She could sense the younger girl’s excitement even without looking at her, but Minjoo’s clear voice confirmed it a she replied. **“I know just the place!”**

Of course, she did, Kim Minjoo always had a plan and it didn’t even surprise her anymore. **“Is it close?”**

**“We can just walk there.”**

Chaewon didn’t reply, instead she just grabbed her bag and gestured for Minjoo to show the way.

The brown-haired woman felt herself relaxing, joy filling her body, replacing the insecurity and guilt she felt earlier – _hope_ , it was hope warming her up. With a small smile, she happily came closer to Chaewon, guiding her to the small dumpling shop near the campus. It was simple, cheap and a little too packed, but just like Minjoo’s heart, it was filled with warmth and Chaewon couldn’t deny she felt comfortable there.

They waited by the counter until a table was vacant, putting in their orders. **“You pay today. I already give you drinks every day.”** Chaewon had said for Minjoo’s surprise, the younger quickly agreeing with a silly smile still on her face. **“I’ll pay next time. I can’t leach on freshmen.”**

Minjoo beamed at it. **“Next time?”**

 **“I don’t really like the cafeteria food.”** Chaewon shrugged her shoulders, making it seem like it wasn’t big deal – and it shouldn’t be, but it was. Chaewon wasn’t the type to make empty promises. **“So, tell me about those photography classes. I always see with that fancy camera around but you never use it.”**

If Minjoo was smiling before, now she was glowing with excitement that had very little to do with the delicious food they were about to taste.

That day, for the first time, Chaewon didn’t let Minjoo lead the conversation, trying her best to keep up with the younger girl. Not only listening, but also sharing a bit about herself. She still insisted on it just being a friendly hang out, but they both knew she was making an effort now – and this was enough to give a new meaning to things.

* * *

* * *

Bearing a birth scar, life wasn’t easy for her, even if she could ignore some negative aspects of it most time. Being unlucky just means you’re not careful enough most of the time, therefore she was always careful about everything – especially her own feelings. Chaewon could get over the embarrassment and pain of falling down for being too clumsy, she could push aside the heavy feeling of the judgmental stares always watching over her, and even could even keep a strong face whenever someone would doubt her abilities as if the scar affected her intelligence. However, it wasn’t as easy to combat the hurt caused by her own silly expectations and feelings, to put aside her emotional side when someone rejected her honest affection – that’s why she wouldn’t bother trying to get dates like everyone seem to do.

Minjoo wasn’t giving her much of a choice though.

 **“Chae, do you want a strawberry or banana one?”** Minjoo sweet voice called her, that silly smile plastered on her face making Chaewon feel a gentle pain into her chest.

The older Kim looked away, hoping her feelings weren’t shown on her face. **“Strawberry, please. Don’t take too long, we need to head to class.”** She replied in a small voice, still not looking at her friend – was that what her and Minjoo were? –, choosing to stay outside the convenience store while the younger woman went inside to buy them some drinks.

Chaewon sighed, lately she was spending more and more time with Minjoo and she wasn’t sure it was a good thing.

Even when the younger girl wasn’t doing anything much, forgetting the flirty persona she had tried so had to show lately, and just being her normal, cute and sweet self, she still got to Chaewon like no one else could. Being with Minjoo gave her a very dangerous feeling of normality, as if she could act like all the others, like the little scar on her face wasn’t more than just a tiny imperfection – Minjoo seem to think like this and it was easy to believe her. Way too easy to get involved in the sweet delusion of leading a normal life.

Nonetheless the cold stares were still there, the censoring looks and the way her teachers would never treat her like the others as if she didn’t have enough dealing with her classmates – they didn’t hate her, they just didn’t want a symbol of bad luck around them.

Sometimes she wondered if Minjoo was just an air head, unable to notice the way other people treated Chaewon, unable to grasp the fact that they were essentially so very different. Or perhaps Minjoo simply didn’t care, a mature self hidden beyond that silly big smile and half crescent eyes, someone who was able to ignore completely the society's judgment and only judge people for who they really are. No matter how much Chaewon wished that the latter was correct, she was having a hard time believing it.

But Minjoo had been like that since the first time they met, over three months ago.

_Chaewon was feeling uneasy, twisting her hands like a child as she sat in one of the comfy seats inside the theater, a new, warm and bright presence taking the place beside her. She tried to focus on the trailers shown on the big screen, the long intro before the movie started, but her eyes kept wandering around, always finding the girl – and as soon as she noticed the other looking back, she would panic and try to pretend she was looking at somewhere else._

_She was a mess._

_Why had she agreed on it again? Even before the girl arrived, she knew things wouldn’t work out. After all, how could it? It wasn’t the first time her friends tried to land her a date, but she knew better they keep her hopes up. No matter how nice the girls were, as soon as they noticed the scar on her face, they would find a way to leave, giving some empty excuse that didn’t help in anything to protect Chaewon’s fragile self from the pain of rejection._

_At nineteen she hadn’t even had a proper date, the more a relationship, and it didn’t seem like it would happen anytime soon – it was for the best to just focus on her studies and not think about stupid thing like dating. Still, here she was._

_Not that she had much choice in the matter this time around. Yena had only dragged her to the movies under the excuse of having an extra ticket and how it would be a waste to not use it – Chaewon didn’t want to act like a third wheel for the loving couple formed by her friend and cousin but she could use some fun and a free movie ticket wasn’t an opportunity to be missed. Hence why she had come with her usual clothes, not bothering dressing up as she thought it would be just another lazy Sunday with her friends walking around the mall and eating after the movie was over. But she was clearly wrong._

_Yena just informed her about Minjoo when the girls were already there and Chaewon had to do her best to not freak out and run away. Chaewon felt completely unprepared, from her clothes to her mental state. Yena had told her to just play it cool, that Minjoo was 'super nice and pretty' but it only made the Kim more nervous. She had come for a relaxing time, not for an awkward date and another rejection._

_When her eyes caught the glimpse of Yuri walking with a taller brunette, she had turned to face Yena, contemplating the idea of killing the duck-like girl for dragging her into this situation. But all she had time to do was try to fix her expression and not allow her nerves to show on her face. The scar already gave people a bad enough impression, she didn’t need to make it worse by showing how socially inept she was._

_When Minjoo was in front of her she had an inside battle, part of her just wanted to stare at the beautiful girl and the other just wanted to hide right away – her reaction was a mix of both, even though her insecurity took the best or her in the end. Her date, a girl that she could only define as truly beautiful, was also dressed in casual clothes that she somehow made it look so much nicer, her light brown hair was up in a ponytail letting her face exposed, revealing the sun kissed skin free of any scars, a face of classic and harmonic features, including a cute straight nose, high cheekbones and plump lips stretched in a small, expecting smile._

_Chaewon mind went blank for a moment, all she could think of was how genuinely pretty that girl was and how ridiculous it was that she ended up as her date out of all people._

_The taller woman’s insistent gaze made her snap out of her daze._

_Minjoo’s eyes were of a beautiful hue of brown much darker than hers, yet with so much light on them – these eyes stared at her intensely, inspecting her face in a way that made her feel self-conscious, even more than usual. The girl’s voice was lovely, her tone warm as they exchanged greetings and Chaewon tried to hide her weakness from the other, pathetically failing to do it._

_She didn’t look at the girl as they shook hands, trying to concentrate on the nice feeling of her hand on hers instead of the grimace that should be displayed on her face now – except that there wasn’t one. The way that the girl didn’t show any negative reaction to her scar wasn’t common at all. If anything, Minjoo was smiling even more at her and Chaewon had no idea of how react to it._

_Therefore, she had just let go of Minjoo’s hand and hurry to hide inside the safety of the dark theater – still even now she couldn’t ignore Minjoo’s presence._

_In the moment it was especially hard as Minjoo clings onto her arm every time something remotely scary happens in the movie – what was quite often considering Yena had choose an horror flick, even though it seems like all four of them were cowards. Yena and Yuri were just hugging each other and Chaewon was sure they hadn’t watched a single full scene yet; While Minjoo would flinch and close her eyes like the adorable thing she seemed to be – Chaewon’s own assumption – every time the soundtrack indicated something was about to happen. As for Chae, she was far from being the bravest person, but she was too busy panicking over Minjoo clinging to her to feel scared about some demon clown or whatever it was._

_What was she supposed to do now? Yena had just engulfed Yuri into a tight embrace, but she couldn’t do the same for Minjoo – even if the brunette didn’t seem to have any sense of personal space for Chaewon’s despair. She wasn’t used to people clinging onto her, especially her dates._

_Yet, she liked it. She couldn’t even bring herself to look at Minjoo properly, still she liked the feeling of her soft warm hands through the soft fabric of her clothes, the gentle and sweet scent that the girl exuded, Minjoo’s small gasps whenever something took her by surprise…That’s was something about Minjoo that was just so familiar, something that made her want to keep the girl closer and protect her..._

_Infatuation, that’s what it was. Chaewon couldn’t accept to name it as more than a silly crush._

_It didn’t mean she could control the fuzzy feeling in her chest, the need to get closer, to comfort and get to know Minjoo better – she was ultimately screwed._

**_“I’m a little hungry…Do you…Do you want to get out? I mean, to get food.”_ ** _She managed to ask in a quiet voice, awkwardly leaning a bit closer so the brown-haired girl could hear her._

_Relief was all over Minjoo’s face as she nodded in agreement, standing up a little too quickly – she was so willing to leave the place that it surprised Chaewon she hadn’t left earlier._

_Minjoo tugged into her sleeve, pulling her with her as they made their way down the stairs – Chaewon nearly tripped a bunch of the times, her eyes struggling to see the steps, making it easier for her bad luck to kick in; however she never fell, Minjoo’s reliable hand letting go of her jacket to grab onto her wrist, keeping her close as she guided them safely out the room._

_The tips of her ears were a light shade of pink when they finally reached the hallway and she managed to hide it by gently shrugging off Minjoo’s hand of hers so she could use it to fix her hair. Meanwhile her date didn’t seem to mind it, bearing a heavy sigh and resting her back on the wall opposite Chae._

**_“I hate clowns.”_ ** _The younger Kim admitted, giving the older a small smile._ **_“Thanks for taking us away from that place.”_ **

**_“No problem.”_ ** _Chaewon tried to return her smile, but she couldn’t look at her properly._ **_“If it serves of anything,_ ** **_he is not a clown but a demon-”_ **

**_“This isn’t better!”_ ** _Shaking her head adamantly the taller Kim made a face. It was silly, but her clear discomfort regarding the movie made Chaewon take a mental note to never let Minjoo anywhere near a clown – again it was silly, she probably wouldn’t see this girl again after tonight. **“I’m sorry, I didn’t think we would watch this kind of movie.”**_

 **_“It’s fine, I don’t like it either.”_ ** _Shrugging her shoulders, the brunette gestured towards the place where they were selling overpriced food._ **_“If you want, we can just buy some food and walk around until the movie is over…Of course, you can leave if you want too.”_ ** _She added the last part a little later, her insecurity kicking in. Chaewon didn’t want a fake date, it would be better to just end it._ **_“I’ll just head home, don’t feel like going back there.”_ **

_Minjoo just shook her head again, her smile a little hesitating as she asked._ **_“Can we stay here and eat, please? I want to get to know you better.”_ **

_The request took her by surprise, but when she looked up to meet Minjoo’s gaze, she saw nothing but sincerity and eagerness on her brown eyes, glinting with an expectant look. Either Minjoo was a pretty good actress or she really meant her words._

_Chaewon’s ears grew warm, but so did her heart._

_Averting her gaze, she nodded._ **_“S-_ ** **_Sure.”_ **

Minjoo was one of a kind and she knew she should be grateful for having met her. A big part of Chaewon didn’t want to miss the opportunity of enjoying their time together – this part was taking over her slowly now, leaving the other part, the one that feared the worst, to sit at the back of Chaewon’s mind like a constant weight onto her shoulders.

Her fears had made her never call Minjoo after their first date – this and her terrible luck that made everything go wrong after it, as if it was a signal that she shouldn’t try to reach Minjoo ever again.

However, Minjoo’s strong and bright presence was making it hard for her to listen to her senses and not her dumb heart.

So many scenarios ran through her head daily, all the ways she could proceed and what she should or not do. Going back to ignore Minjoo and ruin whatever was going on between them? She had failed already. Dating for fun? It wasn’t like her. Allowing her heart to take a leap of faith? It scared her to death, but was such an attractive option at the moment…The biggest problem was that this option came with two other options of her own: break Minjoo’s heart or wait for the girl to break hers; at least these two seem to be the only possible endings for a relationship for someone like her.

The people born with scars weren’t only unlucky in the most literal sense, always tripping over their own feet and being generally awkward, they were also known for leading unhappy lives. People like her weren’t supposed to find their own 'happy ever after', being only temporary assets in someone else’s life, never finding the true love everyone else seem to have.

When Chaewon was around eleven years old, she had met an older girl whose face also bore a scar – different from hers, it was right below her eye and it was impossible to not notice the star like shape it had –, this girl was the only person she had ever met in a similar condition and they naturally bonded, sharing their personal struggles. This girl, Hyewon, was also the first one to tell her about the fact that the ones with marks weren’t supposed to fall in love or it would end badly.

Back then Chaewon was heartbroken with the revelation, feeling as if her young dreams of a happy life in the future were impossible now. She didn’t get much time to lament her destiny, though, Hyewon giving her an even more unexpected information.

_Chaewon had met Hyewon recently, the older girl was staying at a house nearby, spending her winter break with her family in the quiet province Chae lived on. There weren’t that many kids around, especially kids like her, therefore when she had met Hyewon by chance, she felt the need to befriend her right away._

_Hyewon wasn’t quite like her through, while Chaewon was quiet and a little timid, Hye always had a smirk on her face and she liked to play the know-it-all, lecturing the younger about various topics – mainly, the birth scars they both had. That day, Hyewon was explaining about all things she knew about it._

**_“You know, I heard that if you get to break the heart of someone who really loves you, the scar will disappear forever. Just like that, poof!”_ ** _Hyewon has snapped her fingers with a dramatic expression, a weird smile on her face as she spoke._

_Little Chaewon watched her bewildered, all her life she had never thought something like this was possible._

**_“But how? The scar is…Part of me.”_ ** _Chaewon had muttered, touching the lines above her lips, an odd feeling disturbing her. A way to get rid of the scar for good? To be normal? It seemed like a dream – but she didn’t want to hurt anyone._ **_“What happens to the other person?”_ **

_Hyewon shrugged her shoulders, lifting her right hand to pat lightly on the left side of Chaewon’s chest, where her heart was._ **_“The scar goes to them. It will stay in the hearts forever.”_ ** _Her ominous tone made Chaewon flinch, but the older girl just chuckled._ **_“That’s probably bullshit. Who would even want to date people like us?”_ ** _Her snicker had a sad note to it, one that Chaewon could understand ell._

_Hyewon had to go after it and Chaewon never got the chance of asking her how she knew about that. Hye didn’t come back the next day, the chalet her parents were renting was empty when Chaewon tried to check it, the family long gone._

_She never saw the girl again, but as the time went by, her words never completely left the young Kim’s mind._

She had no idea if it was even true, for all she knew Hyewon could’ve just made up that whole story. There weren’t many people like them around, nor she had ever heard of someone who had lost their scar – many tried, all sort of medical procedures was useless, the scars always coming back to their faces in darker, uglier shades like it was punishing them. Her rational side knew it couldn’t be true.

Still the chance of it being a possibility always left her uneasy.

 **“Let’s go! I brought some cream buns too!”** Minjoo announced, grabbing onto her hand left hand to pull her back into motion, making Chaewon leave her complex thoughts and bitter memories behind for a little while.

Almost tripping on her own feet, Chae followed the taller girl, her eyes glued to their joint hands – her fingers naturally looking for Minjoo’s, intertwining before she even realized what she was doing. She frowned, battling inside her wish to be closer to Minjoo, before finally breaking the contact with the excuse of checking the time on her phone.

 **“Class is about to start. We can eat later.”** With this, she sped up her steps, making a slightly confused Minjoo follow her.

 **“Chaewon! Why the rush all of sudden?”** Minjoo said, trying to catch up with Chaewon’s long, determined strides. **“There is still fifteen minutes to go.”**

The shorter brunette didn’t budge, doing her best to pretend being busy with her phone. **“You can stay behind and eat if you want, I’m going back.”**

Of course, it didn’t work. Minjoo just used her long legs to reach her, arms coming to engulf her in a back hug. **“Wait for me, grumpy! We’ll go together.”** Minjoo didn’t allow her to break the contact this time, clinging onto her like a baby frog –that’s what Chaewon told her at least, receiving a pout in return.

 **“Just walk, froggie. You’re** **weighing** **me down.”** She complained, but there was a hint of playfulness, maybe even fondness, in her voice – Minjoo didn’t miss it.

Chaewon didn’t want to earn her happiness by ruining someone else, she didn’t want to be the monster some people painted her as, pushing her pain into someone innocent.

Moreover, she didn’t want to break Minjoo’s heart.


	2. Reaching Your Affection

Spending so much time with Chaewon allowed Minjoo to understand her better, not only that, but also understand the struggles she had to go through. Minjoo wasn’t unaware to the mistreatment people with scars on their faces received, although it had never been directed to her, she knew that they were looked down and sometimes even harassed for no reason.

But being around Chaewon made her aware of the more subtle, yet painful ways, people could be cruel. They often denied Chae the most basic manners, from not properly greeting her, to shooting her glares and disapproval looks for the silliest things.

Minjoo once let her pencil case fall and everything was on the floor, in a matter of seconds her classmates helped her to pick everything up with smiles on their faces. However, when Chaewon tripped on the way upstairs, her knee landing on the hard ground and an expression of pain on her face, no one moved a finger, no questions about her wellbeing, no offering to help her up – they just looked at her as if she had committed a crime, some even snickering at her. Minjoo had run to her side, asking how she was feeling and helping her up, but the other brunette just nodded and headed to her seat in silence, looking more defeated than anything.

It was hard to understand how people could act like this to someone who never did anything wrong. Why they could just overlook everyone else’s clumsiness and forgive their mistakes, but would pour out all their hate on a few people for the exact same thing just because they carried a scar? The hypocrisy of their society never ceased to disgust her and she showed her displease by giving reprehensive looks to every single one of her ‘friends’ who mistreated Chaewon – it only earned a few guilty expressions, most of the only looked confused and annoyed at her; Maybe their prejudice was too deep into their minds for them to acknowledge what they were doing.

As for Chaewon, she was good at pretending she didn’t care about it. Focusing on her studies and ignoring everyone else. But Minjoo could see right through her act. She could see the way Chaewon always let out a heavy sigh after each class, the way she would press her lips into a thin line whenever someone shot her a glare, the way she would deflate on her seat whenever the teacher would overlook all her effort and praise other people instead, the way she would be always left behind whenever group projects were mentioned and Chaewon would only bit down on her short nails nervously before starting to work diligently on her own – Minjoo insisted on joining her.

She insisted because she hadn’t only learned about the sad, grim aspects of Chaewon’s life, but also about the things that made the other girl so attractive to her. In their first date she had seen some of these sides of Chaewon, now she saw new ones. Chaewon was always kind, no matter how grumpy she tried to look or how annoyed she pretended to be, she would never mistreat her, never shout or use harsh words. She was pretty stubborn, what wasn’t exactly a quality, but it helped her to keep her head held up high and her focus on the things that really matter – Minjoo admired her determination. She also had a soft and sweet side that Min would see mainly when they were around Yena and Yuri, when the other girl relaxed and allowed herself to smile and laugh. Chae also graced her with this side of her once in a while, through small gestures like waiting for her for them to walk together, or buying her favorite drink.

Today, however, the older Kim seemed more closed off. Ever since they had met earlier at the campus entrance and Minjoo dragged the older girl to buy some food for them before class, Chaewon looked distracted.

Even now, after class was over, the other didn’t seem completely present.

Minjoo rested her head on hand as she watched Chaewon, who was still busy putting away her stuff. **“Do you want to go to my place or yours to do the work?”**

The other hesitate for a moment, before finishing closing her backpack **. “I’ll just write my part and send it to you later, if that’s okay for you.”**

Needless to say, it wasn’t okay for Minjoo. She shook her head, standing up to accompany the girl in the way out. **“No, no, it’s a group project so we should do it together.”**

 **“If you’re worried I won’t do it, you don’t have to be. I’m used to do things on my own and I do it just fine.”** Chaewon reassured with such an impersonal, robotic voice that it made the younger Kim want to roll her eyes at how fake it sounded. All of sudden it was like they were back at stack one and Minjoo had no idea why. **“I can do the assignment and just say you helped me.”**

 **“Chae, why are you being like this now?”** The taller asked with a hint of frustration in her voice. She was so happy that morning when she met Chaewon, celebrating the little progress they’ve made in the last few days, but it turned out the other way. **“I want to help you. I’m not a freeloader, you know? I’m pretty smart too.”**

 **“I know you’re smart. I didn’t mean to…”** Chae pursed her lips, containing a sigh. She didn’t look at Minjoo as she spoke, playing with the strips of her backpack instead. They still haven’t moved, left alone in the now empty classroom, Chae’s small voice echoing in the silence of the room. **“I already told you, I don’t like group projects.”**

Minjoo crossed her arms in front of herself to contain the urge of touching the other girl – maybe give her a head smack for being so stubborn, but most likely followed by a hug, because Minjoo couldn’t really help herself. **“I don’t like it either. But it’s fine, we’re not a group.”** She added calmly.

Chestnut eyes, the ones that people referred to as snarky, narrowed to look at her with skepticism. **“We are not?”**

The younger woman just gave her a cheeky smile. **“No, we’re a couple!”**

Chaewon snorted at her words. **“You’re unbelievable!”**

 **“But I’m not wrong.”** Minjoo stared back at her, as it challenging her to disagree. The brown-haired woman didn’t give her the chance of replying, making her way downstairs and pulling Chaewon by the hand towards the exit. She would probably drag her all the way to the dorms if Chaewon allowed her – what she wouldn’t.

However, Chae didn’t get the chance of continue their bickering. Another voice sounded, right from behind her, clear and deep. The girls stop in their tracks, turning around to check who was calling for them – for Minjoo more specifically.

 **“Kim Minjoo!”** The woman greeted, a glint in her eyes as she looked at Minjoo. A girl around her height, with a confident smile on her pretty face. Chaewon didn’t need to ask to know she was a senior, probably from Minjoo’s department. The other woman, however, didn’t spare her a glance, ignoring her presence. **“We are having a little orientation party for our club, wouldn’t you like to come with us? It will be fun and maybe I could give you a tip or two.”** The woman’s smile looked more like a smirk now and Chaewon instinctively frowned.

Chaewon’s frown grew deeper as she averted her eyes from the senior, annoyance dominating her body. She was used to be ignored, but for some reason it annoyed her more than usual. There was something really irritating about the way the senior talked to Minjoo.

 **“Minyoung.”** Minjoo greeted with her usual smile, a smile that seem a little more tense than normal as she clung to Chaewon’s hand, not allowing her to leave her side. She shot Chae a look, as if considering her expression before proceeding – Chaewon didn’t look back, but she didn’t try to let go of her hand either. **“It would be an honor to meet you all, but I don’t think someone who isn’t officially a member of the club should join in just like that…”**

The subtle rejection to the invite didn’t seem to work well. The senior tapping lightly Minjoo’s shoulder and giving her a knowing smile **. “I’m the president, I think I can make an exception for you.”** Her tone was more playful than flirt, as if she wanted to make Minjoo comfortable enough to accept her invitation – most people would. Getting close to a senior was a big deal after all.

There was a bitter taste on Chaewon’s mouth now, a knot in her stomach as she heard the little exchange between the two women, an inpatient energy running through her body and demanding her to…To what? Break free from Minjoo and leave? The knot in her stomach grew bigger at the thought of leaving Minjoo alone with the senior. Just looking at the woman’s hand on the younger Kim's shoulder was enough for her to want to slap that hand away.

She just knew she didn’t want to let Minjoo in anyone else’s company, she didn’t want to share her with that senior or anyone else. She just wanted them to be alone again, even if only to bicker with her.

What was that possessiveness all of sudden? Was it jealousy? The knot was tight and big now, reaching her throat when she dared to look at Min's way only to see her smiling at the senior – she didn’t hear what she was saying, too busy thinking about how doing a group project wasn’t that bad if it meant she could stay with Minjoo, instead of being alone at home while the other woman would be surrounded by people at some party.

Cleaning her throat, she made her presence known. **“We should get going. I want to start on the report as soon as possible.”** She managed to keep her voice nice and calm, almost too calm, revealing her act.

Minjoo’s eyes glinted with something new as the younger woman simply nodded. **“I’m sorry, but we have to go. We can’t miss the deadline for this report.”** The deadline was a week away, but none of them would acknowledge it now.

The senior seemed confused, her gaze growing a little surprised as she finally looked at Chaewon with attention – it wasn’t the dirty looks she received many times, but it was far from the bright and flirt one she has given to Minjoo earlier. **“I see. Work hard, Minjoo. I see you around.”**

It was Chaewon’s turn to take the lead, the knot in her stomach slowly unveiling as they walked away from the senior and into the open space of the campus **. “My place. I don’t have a roommate so we can study in peace.”** She informed in her best business tone, albeit she never let go of Minjoo’s hand.

Of course, the other Kim saw right through her.

 **“For someone who refuses to acknowledge we're a couple, you’re surely good at acting like a jealous girlfriend.”** Minjoo teased, with a smile that was so childishly happy that Chaewon didn’t have the heart to try to ruin it.

Chae didn’t look back, but she squeezed Minjoo’s hand a little tighter and the younger woman’s musical laugh was the only thing she could hear as they walked.

* * *

Chaewon’s apartment, a small place near college, reflected the young woman’s personality. It was surprisingly neat, everything organized and clean, the small space carefully planned to tend to the girl’s necessities – her bad luck didn’t allow her to be messy, or else she would constantly trip over everything and end up with a head injury and all her things broken.

Minjoo had taken a good look around before smiling and complimenting her with a playful tone. **“You are invited to come over and help me clean up anytime. Yuri doesn’t look like, but she can be quite messy.”** She had said before taking a seat on the couch, quickly setting down all her stuff before the older girl could argue.

As Minjoo expected, working with the other Kim was easy and together they were able to quickly write the basic draft for the paper, two hours went by quickly as they discussed ideas and complemented each other’s sentences – when Chaewon wasn’t trying to push her away, things just flow so smoothly and it was moments like this that made Minjoo insist on them. Of course, Chae’s little demonstration of jealousy gave her an extra boost of confidence.

Luck was on her side that day, because not only the shorter brunette didn’t try to send her away as soon as they finished the work, she also offered her some snacks and drinks – Chaewon looked cute, with her slightly hesitant expression as she admitted to not being good at cooking; Yuri would laugh at her, but even such a thing made Minjoo fall a little more for Chaewon. She didn’t think twice before offering to cook them dinner.

It was still a little earlier, but none of them mentioned it, both girls working together once more, this time to produce a homey meal with the best things Min could find in the fridge.

 **“That senior…From which club she is? You didn’t mention anything about joining one.”** To the younger woman’s surprise, Chaewon was the first to break the silent. The older Kim wasn’t looking at her, pretending to focus on her food, but Minjoo could tell by her posture that she was expecting an answer.

With a mischievous smile, she savored her food for a long moment before replying. **“The official photography club for the photography department. Not a very creative name, but they’re actually really cool.”** Nodding slowly, she rested her chin on her palm with a dreamy expression on her face. **“I went to one of their meetings, but I’m still considering if I should join…Minyoung is very nice, maybe I should. What do you think?”**

She almost let out a loud chuckle when she noticed Chaewon’s lips forming a pout as she a little too ungracefully shoved another spoon of rice in her mouth instead of answering her. No spoken answer could’ve been clear.

 **“Okay. More time to spend with you.”** She winked at the girl and couldn’t help but laugh when Chaewon struggled to swallow her food and control her blush at the same time – she handed a cup of water.

 **“I’m not telling you to not do whatever you want.”** Chae managed to say in a small voice some time later – her face was still red, but she looked more in control of herself. **“I never got to join a club. Maybe it would be nice for you.”** The pout was no longer there, her tone heavier.

Minjoo wished she could keep the mood light, yet she appreciated the way Chaewon put her needs first even when she clearly didn’t like the idea – be it because she was back to trying to push her away, or because she genuinely wanted Minjoo to take the opportunities she was offered, it was still something nice to do.

 **“I still have a lot of time to pick a club, or maybe even create my own. I don’t want to rush things, everything happens in the right time.”** Assuming a similar tone to the older woman’s, she reached to touch Chaewon’s hand over the table, her fingers caressing her knuckles lightly. **“And you have time too. To find out where you belong.”**

Chae stared at their hands for a moment. **“I don’t think I belong to any clubs they have.”**

 **“Then maybe we should start our own.”** With a small smile, she stood up to leave a kiss on Chaewon’s head before placing her plate in the sink. **“I’ll do the dishes this time, but you need to help me drying it.”**

Chestnut eyes blinked in confusion with the sudden change of topic, albeit the brunette stood up from her seat to help. **“A dishwashing club?”** She asked with a shadow of a smile, accepting the recently washed plate Minjoo handed her.

 **“A cooking and cleaning club doesn’t sound that bad.”** Minjoo smiled back. **“Domestic fluff club?”** She joked and as expected only received an eye roll as reply – but the smile on Chaewon’s face was a little bigger now.

After this, things went smoothly.

It was raining outside by the time they were done and Chaewon offered her to watch a movie while they waited for the rain to pass.

Chaewon was kind enough to skip the horror movies suggested by the TV application and they end up watching an old fantasy movie that brought Minjoo nostalgic memories of her childhood. They sat side by side, a little too close to comfort as the younger brunette not so subtly always moved a little closer – the surprise was in the fact that Chaewon didn’t move away, instead she reached out to take her hand, pulling Minjoo to stick to her side.

 **“Stop moving. You’re distracting me.”** Was Chaewon’s excuse, one that didn’t match her red ears and slightly trembling hands. **“Don’t stare at me, pay attention to the movie.”**

Minjoo just clung to her arm, resting her head on the girl’s shoulder as she pretended to pay attention to the movie when all she could think about was how warm and safe Chaewon felt, her scent reaching her and filling her senses with nothing but mint and strawberry. Chaewon’s body was tense at first but as she massaged her arm and snuggled up to her, she slowly relaxed, until they were both bundled up together in a comfortable bubble of easy, light happiness.

Before Minjoo realized the movie was over. However, the rain was far from it, the echo of thunder making the windows vibrate under its power. Minjoo checked her wristwatch, noticing there was less than half an hour until curfew and she should get going if she wanted to be able to go back to her dorm room – but did she want it? Lifting her gaze to observe Chaewon’s face who was staring outside the window with worried eyes, she couldn’t say she wanted to go back.

 **“It’s a pretty bad storm. How long do you have until curfew?”** Chaewon asked, turning to look at her and Minjoo averted her eyes.

 _Sorry Chae_ , she apologized mentally before pulling her best actress face.

 **“I don’t know…”** She started, proceeding to check her watch and fake a expression of surprise. **“Oh my God, I only have ten minutes left! But I don’t even have an umbrella with me!”** Actress Kim Minjoo was surely thankful for the acting classes her mother had signed her up when she was a child – although it only involved running around dressed up as a tree most of the time.

 **“Well I could borrow you one, but…”** Chaewon made a face, her gaze going from Minjoo’s face to the window where the rain was still hitting hard against the glass. **“It doesn’t seem very safe to go out now.”**

 **“I don’t like thunderstorms. Even since I was little.”** Minjoo shook her head, keeping her gaze on their joint hands. It wasn’t exactly a lie, she really disliked thunderstorms, but it wasn’t like she never had to face a couple of them before. She clung more onto Chaewon’s arm, hiding her face on her neck. **“What will we do? I don’t think I can make it there in time.”**

 **“Well, I guess…Maybe, I mean just because you need to stay safe and...”** Chaewon sighed, before looking at the brunette. This little scared creature didn’t look like the flirt girl who spent the day teasing her, still she couldn’t bear the thought of sending Minjoo out in the rain. **“You can sleep here. I don’t have an extra bed, but one of us can use the couch.”**

Minjoo risked taking a peek at the brunette, lifting her head to look at Chae. **“Are you sure I can stay?”**

The other brunette nodded, a light shade of pink painting her cheeks **. “I’m not that bad of a person to let you walk home in the rain.”** She tried to shrugged her shoulders as if it wasn’t big deal, but her blush got a little more intense.

Biting back a smile, the younger hugged her. **“Thank you, Chae.”** Minjoo left a kiss on her jaw, light yet still enough to make Chaewon feel her heart a little heavier.

Chaewon hugged her back gingerly, a smile slowly making its way to her face. Having Minjoo close was far from unpleasant and she couldn’t help but want more of this contact, her arms involving the brunette as she rested her head on top of hers to smell the sweet scent of her shampoo. For the last two hours she had got used to it, the scent slowly creeping up to fill her lungs and reaching her heart, so unmistakable Minjoo’s that she didn’t think she would ever be able to forget it – Minjoo’s scent wasn’t the only thing hard to ignore; the warmth of her body close to hers, her gentle hand on her arm, their intertwined fingers and even the sound of her calm breath…Everything was so hard to ignore, hitting Chaewon harder than the rain hit the ground outside.

She didn’t want to ignore it.

And now here they were, about to spend a whole night under the same roof and all she could think about was the fact that she would be able to enjoy Minjoo’s presence for long – her rational being buried by her emotional one, ignoring her defensive responses telling her that she was taking a risk she couldn’t afford.

Her rational side was still gone as Minjoo pulled back to ask where she could sleep.

 **“You can have the bed. I’m used to sleeping in the couch.”** She managed to answer, her brain still like cotton candy as she looked at the younger girl's chocolate brown eyes.

Shaking her head, Min stood up and pulled her to do the same. **“No. We can share the bed. I don’t want you waking up hurt tomorrow.”** The younger Kim didn’t even hesitate in leading them to the bedroom – she had never even stepped inside of it, but the place was small enough to allow her to easily find Chaewon’s room.

 **“W-Wait! Shouldn’t you have said you would take the couch instead then?”** Chaewon still tried to argue.

 **“You watch too much TV. I don’t want a broken back either.”** Minjoo shook her head, opening the bedroom’s door to reveal the small room, where a medium sized bed dominated the space. **“It’s big enough for the two of us.”** Nodding with a satisfied smile, Minjoo stole a glance at her confused companion. **“Besides, I like cuddling.”**

 **“This…This doesn’t mean I want it too!”** Chaewon’s protest fell into deaf ears, weak in front of Minjoo’s alluring smile. Wasn’t that _frog_ afraid of the thunder just now? Where was all this confidence coming from? **“What about the thunderstorm-”**

 **“I’ll be safe as long as I’m with you.”** Clasping her other hand, Minjoo gave her a different smile – not a smirk, or her playful grins, a small, genuine one that seem to be meant only for her **. “And you’ll be safe with me too.”** Leaning in she kissed her cheek, long and loving. “ **You can even put a pillow between us, but I warn you I’m a hugger and it won’t stop me.”**

And there it was, the mischievousness again.

Chaewon wanted to sigh and fake annoyance, but Minjoo’s kiss still burned on her cheek and a smile insisted on creeping on her lips. Yeah, for today she would ignore all rationality.

 **“No need. I will hug you instead.”** And with this line, she pulled Minjoo back to give her a kiss – on the cheek just like the one she had received earlier **. “Wash up first. I’ll get you a change of clothes.”**

* * *

Chaewon slept well that night, her eyes closing and a smile on her face, as she drifted off to dreamland in a matter of minutes.

Maybe because of the sounds of the rain outside, or the fact that the temperature had went down a few degrees, or even because it was getting late – probably all mentioned, but mainly the fact that Minjoo looked incredible _huggable_ with Chaewon’s black sweater and slightly droopy eyes, a lazy smile that was far from her flirty one, soft and calm. Chae’s heart skipped a beat as she reached out to engulf the younger girl in a hug, allowing Minjoo to snuggled up to her until they could find the perfect position for cuddling. There was something about holding Minjoo closer to her heart that felt so right, as if it was just like it was meant to be from the start and for a little while Chaewon would embrace this feeling just like she embraced the lovely girl in her arms.

There was no bickering, no awkwardness, only the exchange of sleepy ‘good nights’ before they fell asleep together.

She was used to waking up in the middle of the night, with bad dreams and an uncomfortable feeling in her chest – that night she slept soundly with the sound of Minjoo’s heartbeats and the rain as her lullaby.

The first sunlight coming through the window woke her up in the next morning, instead of her annoying alarm. However, Chaewon didn’t open her eyes right away. She could feel Min’s warm breath against her face, her cheek and nose rubbing against her own as the girl moved on her sleep, hands still hugging her by the waist and legs tangled…They were so close that it was almost like the brunette was just an extension of her, as if letting go of her would be like ignoring a side of herself.

Her eyelids fluttered open, slowly getting used to the morning light and the view in front of her: soft messy light brown hair, smooth sun-kissed skin and angelic features – Minjoo. The younger Kim was still asleep, her slightly puffy morning face making her look younger and innocent. Chaewon caught herself staring at her with fondness, her eyes tracing every single detail she could see – what wasn’t much, they were still too close, Minjoo’s cheek rubbing against hers, their noses brushing together as she breathed, their lips almost touching, so close that Chaewon could just capture it in a kiss.

The older girl didn’t move away, her arms still hugging Minjoo to her chest and her eyes closing again. She wouldn’t kiss her – not like this –, but this proximity was something that she wanted to enjoy the most. Resting her forehead on Minjoo’s, inhaling her sweet vanilla scent, allowing it to take her back to the moment of their first and only kiss.

**_“Feel better now?”_ ** _Chaewon asked as they sat together on a bench outside the mall, at a nearby park. She still had a small pack of colored chocolate in her hands, meanwhile Minjoo had already finished hers – she offered the girl some more._

_Minjoo thanked her with a smile, accepting the chocolate. She looked relaxed now, the glint back in her eyes now that they were far away from the movies and all the clowns in it. **“Yes, I don’t think I’d be able to sleep tonight if I finished that movie.”**_

_The older just nodded, lowering her head to make sure her scar wouldn’t be visible under the lights of the park, staring down at the river that could be seen in the distance. Minjoo being so scared of such a silly movie was almost funny, but she would never laugh at her – She actually found it endearing, her date wasn’t like any other girl she had ever met._

_Once more she wondered why Minjoo ended up stuck with someone like her when she probably could have anyone she wanted, Yuri may have tricked her to come along, but it didn’t explain why she stayed._

**_“Chaewon…You don’t have to do it.”_ ** _Minjoo called her in a sweet, small voice, her hand reaching for her to squeeze it light. There was a small smile on her face when Chae lifted her gaze to meet hers – the chocolate ones looking back at her, were filled with a new found fondness that confused the older Kim, making her break eye contact, self-conscious. **“You don’t have to hide it from me.”**_

**_“I wasn’t…Not consciously.”_ ** _Chaewon sighed. All her relationships always came down to the three lines that were her personal curse, it would be fool of her to believe this date would be an exception. **“You know what it means.”**_

**_“That you were born a little different, but isn’t it the case for everyone?”_ ** _Minjoo replied with a light tone, her hand still on Chaewon’s. The feeling she had earlier becoming stronger the more she spent time with the slightly older girl. Chaewon was still much like the little girl she met once, gentle and kind, genuinely caring – so different from most of her dates. Minjoo was glad for having met again. **“I don’t mind it all. I think it’s cute.”** She reassured with sincerity. No matter what people said about the scars, she knew better than believe it, with or without scar Chaewon was someone worth knowing. **“I heard from Yuri that you’re a computer science major. How is it like?”**_

**_“I…”_ ** _Chae hesitated. She had never been accepted so easily, someone had never overlooked her flaw like it wasn’t big deal, but here was Kim Minjoo acting like it didn’t matter at all. Slowly, she managed to lift her gaze, allowing the light to hit her face as she observed Minjoo’s reaction –the younger girl’s smile only grew wider. **“** **It’s okay, I guess. A lot of numbers, we don’t get to do anything cool until later in the course…What about you?”**_

**_“Yuri told me you’re pretty smart too, so it makes sense.”_ ** _Nodding enthusiastically, Minjoo stood up._ **_“I’m planning in majoring in photography. You know, one of the weirdos that walks around with a camera even though we know that if we accidentally break it, we’re doomed? That’s me next year.”_ ** _She chuckled lightly, offering Chaewon a hand so she could stand up as well._ **_“You paid for the food early. Can I treat you now?”_ **

_Nodding slowly, the older accepted her offer. Having Minjoo’s hand on hers gave her a weird feeling, but it wasn’t bad – not at all, therefore she just clasped her hand a little tighter as they walked through the park in the search of one of the many food stalls placed near the edge of the river. Was it how it felt to be in a real date? This warm, nice feeling of being with someone who wanted to be with you too?_

_She made her steps slower, wishing to make this moment last for longer. She knew she shouldn’t, but hope was slowly spreading through her chest – for once, she wanted to try._ **_“And how did you get into photography? If you carry a camera everywhere, I guess you really like it.”_ **

_Minjoo’s face lit up with her question, the younger girl looking pleased to be able to talk about one of her favorite things – she was happier about the fact that Chaewon was putting some effort too, it was all about the small steps for them. “_ **_You know those moms who just enroll their kids in every class they can find? My mother is like this. She made me do all sort thing, until she enrolled me in a photography course for the summer and I just loved it so much. After that, I start…”_ **

_Chaewon just listened to her, a small smile on her face as she watched the girl’s enthusiasm. Once in a while she would ask her something else, learning more about not only Minjoo’s love for taking pictures, but also all the other things the younger woman has done before – from music classes, to being a girl scout. Minjoo was like an open book, always willing to share about herself, although she would always try to make Chaewon speak as well – and she did, not as much as the other, but she shared a bit about her own story._

**_“I just thought I could do a good job in this field. No one cares about who writes the codes, as long as it works.”_ ** _She had explained later on that night, after they were done eating some snacks Minjoo got them from a food stall. It wasn’t a passionate story like Minjoo’s, but it was the truth. She knew getting a job would be harder for someone who carried the kind of social stigma she did, therefore picking something she could do without dealing with people directly would be the best._ **_“And I’m good at it. I actually have a few projects in the works, small stuff, but still.”_ **

_Minjoo nodded, she understood where the other girl was coming from. It was a pity Chaewon felt like she couldn’t freely pick what she wanted to do and had to restrict her options, but she felt a sense of pride to know the other woman was doing well regardless of the situation._ **_“You can show me it sometime. I don’t even know how this kind of thing works.”_ ** _She was genuinely interested – not because she really cared about computer programs and games, but because she loved to see Chaewon slowly sharing bits of herself. The older girl was good at listening, her attentive chestnut eyes always on her as she spoke and it felt nice to have someone to talk to like this, still she wanted Chae to know she was there for her too, that she also willing to hear her._

_The slightly shorter woman nodded with a hesitant smile._ **_“You’ll probably find it boring though.”_ **

_Shaking her head, Minjoo glanced at the girl as they started walking to leave the park._ **_“Let me decide it for myself when you show me.”_ **

**_“Well, maybe some other time.”_ ** _Chae shrugged her shoulders, her smile a little bigger now._ **_“It’s getting late. Can I walk you home?”_ **

**_“Already?”_ ** _There was a note of disappointment on Minjoo’s voice, but she couldn’t deny Chaewon was right as she checked the time on her watch. Her parents weren’t very strict, but it was getting colder and she could spot some fat, grey clouds in the sky – she didn’t want to end this date drenched. Refraining from sighing, she nodded._ **_“Only if it’s not outside your way, my house is not that close from your campus. There’s a curfew for students too, right?”_ **

**_“Don’t worry about it. I don’t live in the dorms.”_ ** _Chaewon reassured, gesturing for Minjoo to lead the way. She had chosen to not live in the dorms to avoid conflicts with a possible roommate, opting for a small apartment of her own, not having a curfew was another advantage from it._ **_“Are you planning on applying to the same university as mine, like Yuri? Staying in town?”_ **

**_“I don’t know.”_ ** _The brunette shook her head once more. Staying close to home was tempting, but she didn’t know if it was the best option and luckily her grades allowed her to choose whatever she thinks was the best. Maybe she could even go overseas…But it would mean she would be away from her family and friends…And from Chaewon too. Stealing a glance at the girl, she crossed her arms over her chest – she hated that the older Kim didn’t held her hand this time, it was getting cold and she missed Chaewon’s warmth, but she didn’t want to act overly clingy._ **_“I have a couple of options, but I didn’t decide just yet. They’ve a pretty nice program though, and maybe I could room with Yuri if I stayed here.”_ **

**_“Hm, I see.”_ ** _Truth be told, Chae didn’t know exactly what to say. She had just met this girl, and a part of her really wanted to just tell Minjoo to stay around so they could get to know each other properly, but it sounded stupid. If the other decided to stay, it wouldn’t be for her and even if she did stay, it didn’t necessarily mean she would want to have her around._ **_“Well, if you decide to stay, I guess we won’t see each other around campus that often. Different departments and all that.”_ ** _She wanted to throw a silly pick up line about how she would show her around the campus, but instead she came up with such a soulless reply. It was her turn to contain a sigh._

_It was just their first date, still here they were, both overthinking about a future they didn’t even know if the other would be a part of – if they could hear each other’s thoughts, maybe they would’ve know that the fact that they put so much thought on it, could only mean that they wished for a future together._

**_“Yeah, I know…”_ ** _Minjoo’s voice was small as she agreed. The easy mood from earlier disappearing, as if the coldness of the night somehow infected them. The rain didn’t even fall yet, and she already felt like things were going wrong._

**_“Are…Are you cold?”_ ** _Chaewon’s gingerly asked, her voice a little deeper as she looked at her with a worried expression on her face – it was silly, oh so silly, yet it made Minjoo feel a little warmer with her care._

_The taller brunette gave her a small smile._ **_“I forgot to bring a jacket, but we’re no-“_ ** _Her words were cut short by Chaewon’s actions as the girl swiftly placed her own jacket over her shoulders, the warmth of it involving Minjoo right away, just like the mint and strawberry scent of its owner._ **_“You…Wont you feel cold?”_ ** _She asked biting back a smile – it was such a cliché, but she didn’t mind it at all._

_Chaewon shook her head in a negative, lifting her right arm to gesture the long sleeves of her grey shirt._ **_“I’m good. I also have a spare jacket in my backpack…”_ ** _She pointed the bag on her shoulder, proceeding to give her an apologetic smile._ **_“I mean, I’d have lend you that, but I didn’t wash it yet and…”_ **

**_“I like this one just fine. Smells really nice.”_ ** _Minjoo said giving her a bright smile, as she hugged the jacket closer to her body to emphasize what she was saying. Suddenly she felt completely comfortable again, not even the rain would be able to ruin her mood._

**_“You do? Good, it’s pretty good…The jacket, it’s warm.”_ ** _Chaewon managed to reply, her lips curved in a relieved smile and her cheeks warm, as she stole a glance at the girl. She hadn’t think much before giving her jacket to Minjoo, her protective instinct guiding her actions before any sort of embarrassment could make her second guess herself – she was glad she didn’t, Minjoo’s smile would be worth the cold, even if she didn’t have a spare change of clothes for emergencies; being the unlucky person she was, she never forgot to bring one just in case._

_Before she could babble anything more, she felt the warmth of Minjoo’s hand gently brushing against hers and as she looked down, she could see the girl’s open hand, in a silent invite for her to hold it. Chaewon just let her fingers slide in between hers, intertwining as their hands smoothly fit together perfectly – the same feeling from early filled her up, stronger than before, there was no butterflies, but her own fireworks lighting up her chest and illuminating the dark night._

_Minjoo didn’t hide her smile as she felt Chae’s hand on hers, not minding if the other girl noticed how much she could affect her with the smallest actions. Instead, she just put their joint hands in the pocket of Chaewon’s jacket, pulling her a bit closer so they could walk comfortably_ **_. “To keep you warm.”_ ** _She added with a playful tone, marveling at Chaewon’s shy expression that didn’t hide the other girl’s fond gaze._

_That was the moment Minjoo knew for sure she wanted to see Chaewon again and again, make the girl a constant in her life – her sister often said she was a hopeless romantic and perhaps she indeed was, still she didn’t try to fight these feelings, embracing it as they made the way down the street in a comfortable silence, filled only by their footsteps and the happy symphony of Minjoo’s heart in her ears._

_Unfortunately, the walk was a short one and soon they reached the Kim’s – Minjoo’s parents – place._

**_“That’s my house.”_ ** _She informed gesturing the small building, trying to not sound disappointed for declaring the end of the date._

**_“Oh, right.”_ ** _Chaewon muttered, bringing her steps to a stop as she looked at the house, before glancing at the clouded sky. No rain, just the_ _ lightning  _ _illuminating the sky once in a while._ **_“We arrived just in time.”_ **

**_“Maybe a bit early.”_ ** _Minjoo was referring to her curfew, still half an hour away – she wanted to enjoy every minute she still had left, but asking Chaewon to come in would only make things awkward once her parents showed up. Still, she didn’t want to say goodbye just yet._ **_“I’m sorry you couldn’t finish the movie because of me.”_ **

_Chae shook her head slightly, her eyes now back on Minjoo’s face._ **_“I didn’t mind it. I think I enjoyed talking to you much better than watching some clown attacking people.”_ ** _And it was absolutely true, if Minjoo had just go home, she wouldn’t stay around to see the end of the movie – most likely because she would have to deal with Yuri and Yena being Yuri and Yena, what meant a lot of loudness and questions, what was far more scarier than any TV monster._ **_“I don’t even know why Yena picked that movie, those two must be dying to walk home now.”_ **

_Minjoo let out a chuckle and Chaewon followed suit, it was easy to picture their friends doing their usual antics as they tried to escape from ghosts on the streets – she had to remember thanking Yuri for picking that movie later._

_She squeezed the older girl’s hand on her pocket, slowly pulling it out, but still keeping a hold of it._ **_“I had a nice time tonight. With you.”_ **

**_“Me too.”_ ** _The older Kim admitted, her thumb caressing the back of Minjoo’s hand for a moment before loosen her grip on it._ **_“It was actually the best date I had…In a while.”_ ** _The quick addition didn’t fool anyone,_ _not that her stuttering and awkwardness hadn’t already made it clear she wasn’t very experienced in dating._

_Minjoo just giggled, still holding onto lightly to the shorter woman’s hand, refusing to break the contact totally._ **_“It was my best date too. Out of all dates.”_ ** _With a cheeky smile, she winked at the other girl and gladly watched as Chaewon’s cheeks became a light shade of pink._ **_“I should go in before someone sees me and you’ll have to greet my whole family.”_ ** _She chuckled again, stealing a glance at her front porch from where one of her parents would probably come out as soon as they noticed her presence there._ **_“Goodnight, Chaewon. Thank you for today.”_ ** _Feeling confident and a little impulsive, she stepped closer to the other girl, leaning in to place a chaste peck right over the little scar on her face._

_Chaewon’s eyes grew bigger as she felt Min’s lips on her scar and consequently brushing on her own lips, soft and warm – just like Minjoo’s personality. It wasn’t much, light like a feather, still it made her hold her breathe, the tips of her ears going red showing how rapid her blood flow was now._

_Her dates didn’t last long, and none of them included walking her partner home – needless to say she had never received a goodnight kiss, or a kiss at all. Chaewon didn’t know what to do, but Minjoo took the decision out of her hands, her lips coming to greet hers again, this time for a little longer._

_No matter how many dates she had before, or the few awkward goodnight kisses she had received, for Minjoo nothing could compare to this one.. The symphony of her heart finding its high point as she kissed Chaewon one more time, their lips fitting so perfectly. It took Chaewon a moment to return the kiss, but when she did, the gentle pressure of her lips kissing her back, her scent attacking Minjoo in the best way as her warmth irradiated, bathing Minjoo in pure warm and comfort – kissing Chaewon was just like finding this one small, cozy and safe spot, her own safe haven._

_Clasping their hands together, she hugged the girl by the neck with her left arm and Chae laced her waist bringing them to an embrace. Eyes closed, hot breathes mixing together as their noses touched lightly, lips brushing together, getting intimate little by little as the kiss progressed. It was slow, gingerly and slightly clumsy, still, Minjoo wouldn’t want it any other way. Chaewon’s kiss was as sweet as her heart, gentle and addictive – she didn’t think she would ever get tired of it._

_The first drops of rain, the light drizzle before a storm, were falling when they broke the kiss and for a moment none of them moved, eyes fluttering open just to face each other – chocolate and chestnut, both filled with the same feeling, the same emotion none of them was able to hide now._

_Chaewon was the first to let go of the embrace, stepping back as she gently loosen up her grip on Minjoo. All the fondness, the want she had seeing in Minjoo’s eyes was scaring her, making her think about all the things she had grown up listening to – how many times she had heard that people like her could never find love? That no one could fall for her? What were the chances of finding it on her first date with a stranger? It was too good to be true._

_Averting her eyes from the chocolate gaze, she took the coward route._ **_“You should go in, it will rain soon.”_ **

_Minjoo didn’t look away, her eyes still on Chaewon’s face – she could spot the fear in her eyes just now, a fear she knew was born from bad experiences in the past. It would take more than a kiss to convey her feelings and make Chaewon believe them – even for herself, it was still all so new, but she knew it was more than just infatuation, she knew it would be like that when she met Chae again and now she was sure._ **_“Get home safely.”_ ** _She said, still looking for the other woman’s eyes._ **_“Will you call me?”_ **

_The older brunette hesitated to answer. Would she? Could she? Chaewon knew the answer already but it didn’t make it any easier to put it into words. Perhaps it was clear in her eyes, because she felt Minjoo squeezing her hand lightly, a slightly disappointed expression adorning her pretty features as she leaned in to land a final kiss on her lips – chaste and pure._

**_“I’ll hold onto it until our next date.”_ ** _The younger Kim said touching the jacket she was still wearing. **“I’ll wait for you. Don’t take too long.”** _

_Minjoo didn’t expect for a reply before running home, leaving a confused Chaewon behind. Right now, her mind and her heart were sending her completely different signals and she wasn’t sure of which one she should obey._

**_“Goodnight, Minjoo.”_ ** _Chaewon muttered under her breath, before she started running to reach her own house – it would be smarter to get a cab instead of jogging in the rain, but in the moment she needed a way to distract herself from all the thoughts that made her head full and her heart hurt._

Chaewon had drifted back to sleep as the memories played over and over again in her mind.

Back then she felt so torn about whether or not contacting the girl again, if she should just follow her heart and wish for the best, or trust her head and protect the both of them from the pain a relationship could bring.

Ultimately, her bad luck – and her own reckless behavior – had made the choice for her. She had lost her phone to the sewers in the way home, the small device slipping into a manhole as she ran, and she knew better than trust any suspicious clown that offered to get it back for her – Okay, maybe she didn’t find that movie so silly. Of course, she could’ve get Minjoo’s number again just by asking Yuri, but not only her phone was gone, she also got herself a strong cold that kept her bedridden for two days right before exams season, meaning she had to study even more to try to keep up with everyone else and get good grades – not surprisingly, none of her classmates offered to let her copy their notes, nor her teachers seem to have any sympathy for her to do anything about it. Before she knew it, she was overwhelmed by school work and dating became a secondary worry in her mind.

Thoughts of Minjoo still run through her mind once in a while, small things like seeing a poster for the photography department or even finding the colored chocolates the other girl seem to like so much at a convenience store, were enough to remind her of the younger Kim. Yena would ask her about the date, but Chaewon would just shrug it off and change topics. The truth was: she really wanted to see Minjoo again, to apologize for being such a coward and taking so long. However, she didn’t want to be unfair with the other girl, and Minjoo deserved better than someone who carried the ‘mark of the unborn’ and was socially inept. There was also the fact that Minjoo might not even be there in the next year and it wasn’t worth the heartache.

Her mind, at the end of the day, came out the winner of her inner battle – at least until now.

She felt something warm and soft again her face, prompting her to open her arms to face a Minjoo who smiled lazily at her, eyes in perfect half-moon and hair disheveled – a breathtaking view, one that was hard for her to not wish to see it every morning. **“Morning, Chae.”** The younger girl gave her another kiss on the cheek before leaving the bed in a rush, starting to search for her things. **“I’ve morning classes today and I’m kind of running late already.”** She explained as she went to the bathroom to wash up, while the older brunette was still trying to wake up completely.

 **“Hm, good morning?”** The older Kim sat down on the bed, checking her bedside alarm clock to confirm she should be getting ready as well.

It wasn’t like her to be late for class, still as she stumbled upon her own feet, trying to find a new change of clothes and wash up, she keep getting distracted by Minjoo’s presence – eyes following her as the younger girl left the bathroom looking perfectly composed after washing up, although she had changed back into her clothes, she kept Chaewon’s sweater, the one that made her look extra _huggable_.

 **“I’m giving it back later. Your clothes are very comfy, you know?”** Minjoo said as she reading her thoughts – and sometimes Chaewon thought she could. Fixing her backpack over her shoulders, the younger brunette looked like she was ready to go.

Chae learned on the doorframe, having just finished brushing her teeth. **“You still have my jacket though.”** It wasn’t a complaint, more like an affirmation – she hoped Minjoo still had it, however the other has never mentioned it before and maybe she just forgot about it or even throw it away…

 **“And it’s my favorite jacket.”** Minjoo winked at her, coming closer. **“Maybe I’ll give you it back after our next date.”**

So, she still had it – Chaewon felt oddly relieved by the news, even though she couldn’t say she liked that jacket that much. **“Maybe?”**

 **“Maybe. I really like it.”** Leaning in, Minjoo left a chaste kiss on Chaewon’s lips – the older girl kind expected it and her lips automatically kissed her back. How could her rational side ever win against Minjoo? She attacked more than her heart, but her whole being and it was hard to not surrender.

 **“And this one too, if you remember to call this time.”** Clicking her tongue, Min lightly scolded her, albeit her eyes were a shade darker as she looked at Chae now – vulnerability. Flirt or not, Minjoo also had her own feelings on the line here. **“Will you?”**

This time, Chaewon didn’t deny her a proper answer. **“I will.”** She promised in the same tone. The older girl wasn’t sure about what was going to happen to them now, if making this promise was just setting her up to a fate she would rather avoid, still she couldn’t deny she wanted to see Minjoo again – as more than a junior who followed her around, but as the girl who she couldn’t help but like more and more, the one she wished to keep closer to her heart. It was probably not the smartest decision, yet she didn’t take her words back. **“Even though I feel like you’re planning on robbing my whole closet.”**

A light, relieved chuckle left Minjoo’s lips. **“You might be right.”** With an energetic wave, the brunette bid her goodbye. **“Don’t make me wait so long this time!”**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! Did anyone think it would be angst? Because I’m afraid a lot more of fluff is coming up, so get used to it XD
> 
> As usual, thanks for reading and I apologize about the mistakes. You all know where to find me, so hmu if you have any questions. See you!


	3. Reaching Your Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick reminder that double lines indicate long time skips (days/weeks) and single lines short ones (hours). Also, this chapter has a rated 15 scene, but it’s nothing really graphic…I don’t even know why I still warn you guys, you read it anyway…Enjoy the chapter!

Chaewon had kept her promise and called her, for non specific reason, just to talk after a long day of school. Minjoo had to cover her face with a pillow to hide her dumb smile from her roommate’s, Yuri, curious look – it was of no use, after all the other girl demanded her an explanation as to why she hadn’t come back home the other night and Minjoo grinned like a fool as she told her she stayed over at Chaewon’s place. The shorter woman had shaken her head in disapproval, but given her a fond smile before wishing them luck and telling her to just text her next time she planned on sleeping over Chaewon’s. Minjoo had hugged her best friend and promised she would.

From that moment on, things started to change.

They were in a new stage of their relationship, and Minjoo no longer followed Chaewon around, instead they would walk side by side. It wasn’t so different to someone watching from the outside, they still had lunch with Yuri and Yena, Minjoo still flirted with her a little too much and they still met earlier to buy snacks before class – it was a comfortable routine, however there were some big differences that didn’t go unnoticed by their close friends: Chaewon didn’t complain when Minjoo sat a little too close, she didn’t argue over working together and even offered to help Minjoo with the work for her photography related classes.

More than that, they were spending more time together now – outside campus.

She visited the older girl’s place often, be it to watch movies or just cook them some food – Chaewon didn’t like going out and she didn’t pressure her to do so, she was glad they were slowly getting closer. When it was just the two of them everything just seems to fall into place, with fond looks and gentle touches, cuddling on the couch or just holding hands, soft kisses on cheeks and an eventual peck on the lips – it wasn’t dating, not yet, but it was something special that they both wanted to keep.

However, they had different views about how far this could go.

Chaewon was still too aware about the differences between them and how being in a relationship could affect them both – sometimes she couldn’t help but remember Hyewon’s words about how a broken heart could fix her and it haunted her days; no, she didn’t really believe it could fix everything, but she believed she might ended up hurting herself and Minjoo if she wasn’t careful enough. Having a fling was one thing, dating and admitting it to everyone else to judge them, was something very different.

Right now, as they made their way out of classroom after a successful presentation – they both got a good grade since it was a group project and this was one of few teachers who didn’t seem to single out Chaewon for her _condition_ , maybe because he was just too old to see her scar properly. Minjoo had a happy smile on her face and she was particularly clingy today, not satisfied with only walking next to Chae, she had tried to hold her hand as soon as class was over, even though the other students were still leaving the place and giving them questioning looks.

Chaewon hated the feeling of stares, more than the ones directed to her, the ones that were given to Minjoo – it was as if the brunette was committing a crime by being with her. She didn’t want Min to suffer the same kind of prejudice she had to deal with, that’s why she tried to shrug her off as they started walking towards the exit.

Clenching her hands into fists, hiding it in the safety of her jacket’s pocket. She felt, more than saw, Minjoo’s hurt gaze over her.

**“Chae?”** The slightly taller girl had called, gingerly reaching out to touch her sleeve. Minjoo knew Chaewon was still hesitating about them – she couldn’t blame her completely, a life of mistreatment doesn’t disappear just because you have a girlfriend, and honestly, they weren’t even officially dating. She knew the older had her reasons to be careful, still it hurt whenever Chaewon would try to keep her distance when all Minjoo ever wanted was to keep her close.

Instead of replying to the question on Minjoo’s eyes, the older Kim just gave her a nervous smile, swiftly moving in a way she would be out of her reach. **“We should get going. It’s going to rain soon.”** She tried to keep their pace, but only her footsteps could be heard.

Chae let out a heavy sigh, bringing her steps to a stop. Again, the sharp pain in her chest, not the one followed by the warmth of Minjoo’s affection, just the plain one that seem to crave a whole into her lungs, taking the air away and making it hard for her to breath – was it guilt? Maybe, but not only that. Minjoo deserved better than that, better than secret dates and unspoken promises.

But could she even promise her anything? Relationships come and go, break easily under life’s difficulties, and they would surely face more than most couples…

Turning to look at the place where Minjoo was still standing, looking a lot like a hurt puppy – or maybe a little fox would be more accurate –, big dark eyes still staring at her with the glint of shattered hope and the silly affection she seem to give her endlessly, Chaewon couldn’t help but think that for Minjoo it was still worth trying.

Was it the right thing to do? _Maybe_ not. Would it even work? _Probably_ not. Did she still want to do it? _Yes_.

Minjoo was always the one to go after Chaewon, she tried hard to get her attention and affection, and sometimes even for her it seemed too much. She loved Chaewon, the kind of affection that she couldn’t simply put behind her, even if she knew she didn’t have a valid reason to hold onto so tightly to this feeling when they were barely together, when it was born from a first impression she had so many years ago and her romantic self had probably made it look so much better in her own mind – still, it wasn’t just that. Min didn’t fall in love with Chaewon once, nor even twice. Every day, in the smallest ways, she would fall for her again, love filling up her heart bit by bit to the point where she wasn’t able to hide it.

Nonetheless, she shouldn’t insist too much, should she? She knew about Chaewon’s limitations, but she couldn’t say honestly that she was ready to only receive conditional love from her.

She lowered her gaze to her feet, unable to face Chae’s bright chestnut eyes that showed so clearly all her doubts and worries. It would be much easier to just pretend it didn’t bother her, to accept what they had and keep going – but it would kill her in the long run, ruin them both. She didn’t want to see her love turn into bitterness. **“Chaewon. If you don’t-”**

**“I’m not good with relationships, Min. I’m probably not the greatest pick for you.”** Chaewon clear, high pitched voice sounded, now close to her as the girl approached in light steps. **“You know how things are for me, and you know it won’t change. And being around me probably won’t be very pleasant, maybe even bad, or…”** Chaewon cursed under her breath, frustration in her tone, but also something else – something far more powerful, _determination_.

Minjoo instinctively looked up to meet her gaze, surprised by how fierce it was, no doubts or fears, just a flame that made the chestnut turn into golden-brown. She had only seen this look once before – in a very different situation, but she knew all too well what it meant. **“But we’re here now and I don’t want to waste our chance. I want to try. It’s all I can promise you.”**

Chaewon offered her a shaky hand, ignoring the stares they could be attracting and the consequences her decision may have, for once she would only think about what mattered to her own happiness – and Minjoo’s, but Minjoo was slowly becoming the very own embodiment of this feeling for her.

Minjoo didn’t accept her hand, engulfing her in a warm, safe and familiar embrace instead, so tight it almost knocked her off of her feet – still, she didn’t try to avoid it, slowly wrapping her own arms around the girl’s waist as Minjoo rested her chin against her shoulder. **“It’s enough for me.”**

And it was, for Minjoo, having Chaewon was always enough even if she knew it shouldn’t be. As long as she wanted to try, Minjoo would be there for her and hopefully it would be enough for them.

That afternoon she didn’t let go of Chae anytime soon, and for the very first time Chaewon wasn’t the first to break the embrace – even if when they did, it was only for Minjoo to drag her to the exit of the campus before the downpour. Of course, people noticed it, but they both ignored, and even if only for today they wanted to make it their own special moment that no harmful words or prejudice could affect.

Unfortunately, they couldn’t ignore it forever.

* * *

* * *

Chestnut eyes watched her every move as Minjoo organized the few ingredients on the kitchen counter, trying to control her smile and concentrate on the cookies she was supposed to make – it wasn’t easy through. Chaewon didn’t really talk, just watching her like a kid watches their mom cooking – only that she didn’t look at her like a kid would, from her seat beside Minjoo, her gaze was intense and warm enough to bring a light blush to Min’s cheeks.

She had barely started mixing the ingredients when she couldn’t contain the urge and stole a glance at her girlfriend, only to catch Chaewon staring intently at her – the older avoided her gaze as soon as she was caught and Minjoo couldn’t contain a smile now. **“You complain about me staring, but here you’re staring at me now.”**

**“I…I’m just trying to learn.”** Chae managed to say, giving her an apologetic smile and gesturing the cookie mixture.

The brunette’s smile grew into a playful grin as she ignored her task to come close to Chaewon, lacing her arms around her neck – careful to keep her palms far away from the soft brown hair to avoid coloring it white with flour. **“By looking at my lips?”** Chae’s cheeks became red with embarrassment, but she didn’t look away.

**“I was watching you working, but I also like your smile.”** The older girl tried to excuse herself, even though she knew the other woman wouldn’t believe her – she wasn’t wrong, even if Chaewon meant to just learn from Minjoo’s delicate moves and talented hands, her eyes insisted on drifting off to her beautiful face, once in a while observing her plump lips curved in the softest smile. It was a sight that warmed her heart.

Now with Min so close, she could not only see the smile on her lips, but also the one in her eyes – the corners of it crinkling to form half-moons, partially hiding the onyx orbits that radiated so much warmth and she knew so well now.

It’s been a couple of days since they had the talk that had made them official, and even if it didn’t make a huge change in their routines, it was something that impacted her life greatly. Slowly, she was trying to lower her walls and let Minjoo in, to accept and reciprocate her affection without thinking about what could happen – it didn’t mean she was always successful, that she didn’t feel uncomfortable under the judging gaze of others or that she didn’t have a hard time putting her feeling into words.

Still, like she had promised, she was trying, and when Minjoo was with her it was so easy to do. Like now, she couldn’t think about dumb scars or how one of her teachers had been especially harsh on her earlier for no reason, or even how some of their classmates would throw them dirty looks just because they arrived together at class – no, all the things that made her feel sad or frustrated disappeared once it was only the two of them, the love bubble protecting them from the outer world.

Minjoo was always the one to kiss her first – soft, quick, pecks nothing more than this as they slowly became closer –, this time, however, she was the one to pull her into a slightly tighter hug, resting her lips on hers for a long moment. None of them tried to deepen the kiss, just enjoying the almost innocent contact, bathing in each other’s presence.

Breaking the kiss, Minjoo rested her forehead on hers to ask in a soft voice. **“Didn’t you ever try to learn how to cook?”**

**“I did. More than once. I’m just…”** Chaewon made a face, remembering her failed past attempts, before lifting a hand to show the faint scar in one of her fingers. **“I always end up burning myself.”**

Pulling back, Minjoo pursed her lips, a glimpse of worry in her eyes. She knew someone who used to have a similar problem when trying to cook, but eventually she had learned how to avoid it. **“Clumsy much, huh?”**

**“More like unlu-”**

She cut the other girl off before she could finish her sentence. **“ _Clumsy_ , you’re just a little clumsy.” **Correcting Chaewon with a gentle tone, she proceeded with a determined look on her face. **“It’s fine, I’ll be here to help you and we can do it together.”**

Chae shook her head slightly. **“You always speak as if you won’t ever go away.”**

Unsurprisingly, her girl’s reply came quickly. **“I’ve no plans on being away from you.”**

**“Good.”** Albeit she couldn’t say it out loud, she didn’t plan on losing Minjoo, even if it meant burning a few fingers while trying to cook. She hugged her close again, not minding if her actions caused a little bit of flour to dirt her hair. **“Can we start with the cookies?”**

Her reply was a loud kiss on the cheek before the slightly taller girl went to grab her an apron. **“Wash your hands. Cookies taste better when made by hand.”**

Chaewon only smiled, doing as she was told. She could get used to a life like this.

* * *

* * *

Holding onto a tripod and keeping Minjoo’s expensive camera in the safety of her backpack – she wouldn’t risk keeping it in her clumsy hands –, Chaewon waited for her girl at one of the benches near the main entrance of the photography department. Min would be out of class soon and she had promised to help her with one of her new projects, since the older didn’t have class in the afternoon.

She didn’t mind carrying that awkward tall tripod – there was probably a better way to fold it, but she was afraid of breaking the thing if she tried –, or following Minjoo around the whole day if it meant the brunette would get the pictures she needed for a class that had been stressing her out lately. Chaewon, however, still hated dealing with people and picking up Minjoo after class meant dealing with her friends.

They were together for nearly two weeks now, but she rarely ever visited that side of the campus, and although very annoying, their classmates in her department seemed to be used to her – and Minjoo’s – presence now, therefore they didn’t pay as much attention to them anymore. It would be easier to take the coward route and just meet Minjoo at the park, but Chae was trying to change her habits and braving up to the word, instead of just trying to ignore it – she would be fine doing so, but Minjoo wouldn’t and being in a relationship she had to think about the best to her girlfriend.

Her wristwatch let out a small beep informing Minjoo’s class should be over now, and looking at the building she could already see some students rushing out, most of them not paying her any attention. She waited a couple of minutes until a familiar slim silhouette was in sight, light brown hair making it easy to spot Minjoo between a group of six people or so.

Chaewon took a deep breath, standing up. Why her girlfriend had to be so good with people? She was expecting one of two friends, not a big group…Nonetheless, she couldn’t turn back now. Hugging the tripod, she made her way to the group, forcing herself to smile and relax as she greeted, hoping Minjoo would notice her soon and they could leave quickly.

As expected from Kim Minjoo, she spotted her girlfriend even before she said anything, a big smile plastered on her face as she identified the older girl. 

Chae had told her she would be there, and the girl hadn’t broken a single promise yet – not since their first date, of course –, still she was surprised to see her willing to approach her when she was surrounded by people. Chaewon didn’t lie when she said she would try and seeing her hesitant, yet friendly smile, was probably the most endearing thing ever. **“Chaewon!”** She called, waving at her, before gently patting the back of one of her classmates as a sign to greet the girl. **“That’s my girlfriend who I told you about, she will be helping me out with the project. Chae is sophomore in the computer science department.”** Her proud tone was obvious and she could almost hear Chaewon nagging her for talking too much, but she couldn’t resist.

Her colleagues were quick to greet the girl, some giving her sincere smiles and others only bowing their heads in a polite way. Minjoo could tell by their expressions the way they perceived Chaewon, some of them didn’t bother to pretend they weren’t staring at the small scar on her face – no one said anything, but it was easy to tell the ones who had a problem with and the ones who didn’t, fortunately, most of them fell in the first category. Minjoo would make sure to distance herself from the others.

**“Do you guys want to join us for coffee? We’ll grab some at that place I told you about earlier.”** One of her colleagues – _friend_ , she changed mentally, someone as nice as her should be considered a friend – Nako asked, giving Chaewon a smile as to confirm it was okay. Minjoo just looked at her girlfriend, allowing her to decide.

Chaewon was a little surprised by the offer, even though the girl was probably just extending her the invite out of courtesy, it wasn’t something everyone would do. Perhaps not all people were awful – looking at one of the dudes who was still staring at her in a grumpy way, some still were.

**“I…Well, Min still has to take her pictures…”** Her hesitation must be clear, because Minjoo was by her side in no time and the short girl who as still waiting for a proper reply gave her a reassuring smile once more. Maybe trying wouldn’t be so bad **. “But we still have time, so I guess I could use some cappuccino.”** She didn’t even need to look to know Minjoo was giving her that embarrassing proud look again, her ears growing red. **“Should we get going?”**

**“To the café here we go! I heard they have this great cheese croissant and…”** Nako started in an excited tone as she led the group, not bothering to pay any attention to the dude who made an excuse to ditch the group – it was the first time that someone, with the exception of her two loyal friends and Minjoo, so blatantly ditched someone in favor of Chaewon’s company.

It felt good.

Minjoo gave Nako a grateful smile, although the girl was busy talking about her love for cheese in the moment, she stayed a little behind to walk with Chaewon. **“Thanks for bringing my stuff, Chae.”** She took the tripod out of the brunette’s hands, hugging it with one arm. Her girlfriend tried to protest, but she beat her at it. **“You already carried it all the way here. And like this we can hold hands.”** As to prove her point, she reached for Chaewon’s hand with her free one and their fingers naturally intertwined, used to it by now. **“Thank you for agreeing on coming too.”** She added in a small voice only meant for the person beside her.

Squeezing her hand lightly, the slightly shorter Kim gave her a half smile before nodding. **“You know my friends, I should know yours too.”** There was still a hint of hesitation in her eyes, maybe even insecurity, but Chae’s hand was firm around hers, her steps steady as they followed the group.

**“I know _our_ friends, Chae. Those are just my classmates…Although I think they may become good friends after today.”** Min corrected, squeezing her hand back. It was a big step for Chaewon and Minjoo would try her best to make sure she wouldn’t regret agreeing – even if it meant arguing with anyone who dared to mistreat her girl. **“It will be only 10 minutes, don’t worry about it, we can…”**

**“Yo, love birds! Walk faster!”** Nako called from the front and Minjoo had to hurry up to keep up with them, as Chaewon tried to do the same while simultaneously taking careful steps to make sure she wouldn’t accidently trip.

Luckily for them, their worries weren’t needed.

Later that day Chaewon figured that Nako was actually an equality enthusiastic, what meant she didn’t like any kind of prejudice and was very adamant about it – she was also really good at making people feel welcomed and at easy, always talking about a bit of everything in between bites on her cheese croissant.

They end up spending over an hour in the café, and surprisingly for the older Kim, it was a very pleasant moment for her.

* * *

* * *

Just like there was good days, sometimes there was some not so great ones – for the two of them.

Midterms week was taking a toll on the college students, and the Kims were no exception, albeit for very different reasons.

It was Minjoo’s first time dealing with so much pressure regarding her artistic work, making it seem much less enjoyable than it had always been, to complete she also had to study hard for the non-photography related subjects she was obligated to take – and like any freshman, she had a perpetual headache and barely any sleep. Her parents were never strict regarding her grades and choices for the future, still she felt the need of doing well considering she had given up on the chance of going overseas to stay close to home and the people she loved, she felt she had to prove she made the right decision.

And while Chaewon was very supportive always, helping her with whatever she could, the older Kim was facing her own problems.

Chaewon was used to studying hard, to go over the top to make sure her grades would be the best she could get and to prove herself to the people who doubted her, still it wasn’t easy when the teachers often looked down on her no matter how hard she tried. There was one teacher in particular who seemed to hate her very own presence, finding flaws in everything she does and pointing out her mistakes to embarrass her in front of the others – Chaewon usually just listens to it quietly, determined to not let the older woman win by letting her embarrassment and anger visible. But there was a limit for everything.

Minjoo was finishing editing a couple of pictures for her presentation next week, with Chaewon working in her own assignment in the chair opposite to her by the table at the older Kim's place. The younger tried to make conversation, but failed every time, her girlfriend focused on writing what looked like an endless essay – shoulders curved, eyes red and a serious expression on her face; Chae wasn’t looking like she normally did when they were together. She tried to finish her task quickly and make them some hot chocolate to help easy up the stress, but Chaewon didn’t even touch the mug full of brown liquid.

With a sigh, the younger brunette wondered if there was anything she could do to help the other girl – Chaewon had the tendency of closing herself off, not sharing about her struggles even though Minjoo could feel how upset she was at times. Min didn’t want to push her, but it made her heart sink into her chest every time she noticed how worn out Chae was due to the stress. **“Chae?”** She called softly, and she had to repeat it another time to get the girl’s attention **. “It’s a pretty big essay…I’m done with my presentation, I can help you.”** Giving her a big smile that she knew Chaewon was weak for, she complemented **. “Come on, the sooner you finish it, the sooner we can cuddle. So, I’m not being selfless here.”** She winked at her and it was enough to get a tired smile from the brunette.

Chaewon wasn’t used to having someone to share her workload, she didn’t like burdening others with her problems. But she also knew how stubborn her girlfriend could be and honestly, she could use some help **. “Can you check the references list for me? I’m trying to finish writing the conclusion.”** She showed Minjoo the document she was working on and the girl was quick to nod, asking her to share the file so they could work together. **“Thank you, Min. I’m sorry for giving you extra work.”**

**“Just give me extra kisses and we’re even.”** Minjoo didn’t even look at her, busy working on formatting the references as it was supposed to be. She was actually glad Chaewon was willing to let her help, it was another small, but meaningful step for them. **“You helped me with the photoshoots. Good couples help each other and we are a great couple.”**

With a smile, Chaewon reached out to take her left hand and leave a kiss on the back of it. Yeah, Minjoo was good for her, more than she deserved.

Working on the paper took longer than expected, a bunch of small details taking a lot of time and making the tedious task seem nearly endless. Thanks to Minjoo’s help, Chaewon managed to finish it before midnight, however by the time she sent the finished work for the teacher, Minjoo was already dozing off with her head resting on top of her crossed arms. The older girl felt a sting of guilt as she watched her, thinking maybe she should’ve sent her to bed earlier, but as soon as she stood up to try to wake her up, Minjoo gave her a sleepy smile opening her eyes.

**“Can we go to sleep now?”** Minjoo asked opening her arms to welcome Chaewon who was trying to get her to stand up – she did, but with a Minjoo glued to her like a baby koala, and she couldn’t help but hug her back.

**“I’m sorry it took so long.”** Kissing the side of her head, she managed to pull Minjoo with her towards the bedroom.

Helping her girl to lay down comfortably on the bed, she tried to escape from her embrace to go back to the living room and put away all the books and notes they had left behind. Of course, Minjoo didn’t allow her to.

**“I was promised kisses.”** She reminded in that lazy voice sleepy people have, slower and deeper than normal – it was cute, but Chaewon couldn’t be seduced by it now.

She leaned in to leave a gentle peck on her lips, only for a few seconds, pulling away before it could become more than a peck. Minjoo whined at the loss of the contact, but Chaewon didn’t kiss her again, breaking the brace to tuck her into bed properly.

**“You shouldn’t take advantage of someone who is only half conscious.”** She explained as she fixed the sheets around Minjoo, making sure she was completely covered and comfortable before leaving a kiss on her forehead – the younger tried to protest again, but she didn’t mind it. **“Sleep. I’ll come back soon and we can cuddle, okay?”**

Giving up, Minjoo just nodded. Her eyes were heavy with sleep and she felt like she would pass out at any minute, not the best time to arguing. However, it didn’t mean she wanted to lose the chance of getting Chaewon close to her. **“Don’t take too long. If I can’t get a kiss, I want some cuddles at least.”**

Chaewon chuckled softly at the way Minjoo pouted slightly, hugging her pillow. She wanted that kiss too, they still hadn’t shared one like the one in their first date since they got together, still she didn’t want to do it when her girlfriend could barely keep her eyes open. No, she would do it when they were both fully conscious and ready for it.

**“I won’t. Sleep well, love.”**

* * *

* * *

**“Min…I don’t skip class, you know?”** She reminded for the second time, albeit her feet still followed the taller girl steps leading them to the line outside the movie theater, instead of the college building she was supposed to be at right now. Minjoo had just took her by the hand as soon as they finished lunch, claiming they needed to go somewhere, but Chaewon didn’t expect her plans to include skipping class to watch some Disney movie. **“And I don’t think I’ve even watched the first movie.”** The admission was done in a quiet voice, looking at the huge cardboard figure that showed a princess with platinum hair and a long blue dress, the ice queen Elsa – this much she knew from the trailers.

Minjoo made a face at her words, her inner Disney enthusiast a little offended by her girlfriend’s lack of culture – another time they would have a marathon. **“That’s okay, I can tell you about it, and if you don’t like the plot that much, we can pick another movie.”** She offered with a smile, although she was quite excited to watch the movie, spending time with her girlfriend after such a stress-filled week was her main goal. **“Midterms just ended, it’s fine to slack off a bit.”** Kissing Chae’s cheek lightly, she hugged her by the waist ignoring the other people who were in line. **“Don’t argue, you look like a zombie lately.”**

It was almost as if Min could read her mind, because the girl managed to shut down her protests before Chaewon said a single thing. She had never skipped class since she enrolled in college, and even back at high school, she only ever did when Yena dragged her out to go to the arcade and it wasn’t that often. She knew that taking a break once in a while wasn’t so bad, still it always gave her a feeling of guilt – Minjoo’s warm arms around her pushed the feeling aside, making it easier to relax. **“Maybe taking a day off won’t be so bad.”** With a smile she encouraged the girl to talk. **“Just tell me about the movie.”**

Like an excited child, Minjoo promptly attended to her request, describing with details all the plot about the sisters and their bond, as well as explaining about all the funny side characters and her favorite songs – Chae wasn’t sure if she would love it that much, but she loved listening to Minjoo’s voice and even more how happy she looked now. Even if the movie was terrible, she would still watch, just to keep that smile on her girl’s face.

By the time they got their tickets and bought a bunch of food to eat while enjoying the movie, Minjoo had told her about everything and now Chaewon was a bit excited to check the story for herself – even if her girlfriend made her pose in front of a bunch of cardboard figures to take some pictures, Chaewon didn’t even like taking pictures for obvious reasons, but she couldn’t decline it when it was Minjoo asking and in the ending they took several photos together, ignoring the passerby looks.

When they entered the movie theater, the older brunette frowned as she looked at the darkness of the room, the steps barely lit by weak lights wouldn’t be enough to stop her unlucky self if she wasn’t every careful – she didn’t have to be. Minjoo had been watching her and by now she knew well how clumsy – she refused to call it bad luck – her girlfriend was, therefore she took the drink in one hand, and hugged Chaewon by the shoulder with her free one. **“Watch the steps.”** Her advice was given in a soft voice as she gently prompts them to make their way up, slow footsteps that led them safely to Minjoo’s favorite spot at the right side of the room, the comfortable chairs at the back a little far away from where the kids and their parents were making a mess in the middle row. **“Today we’ll compensate for the last time we came to the movies.”**

**“Thanks.”** Chae said as she took a seat, letting out a relieved sigh as she safely reached it without spilling all the popcorn. Maybe being around Minjoo made her a little less unlucky too. **“You mean not leaving halfway through it?”** Giving her a half smile, she watched as the other girl sat beside her. Luckily the place wasn’t crowded and they could quietly talk while the trailers played on the big screen. **“It seems like movie dates is our trademark.”**

Getting herself comfortable on her seat, Minjoo was quick to lift up the protection between the seats, allowing her to snuggle up to Chaewon. **“I wanted to do it in the first time we were here.”**

Instinctively, the older Kim accepted her in her arms, hugging the girl back as they assumed a position that was becoming quite common in her life – she couldn’t complain about it. However, there was a confused expression on her face as she looked for Minjoo’s eyes. **“But you didn’t even know me back then.”**

A smile made its way to Min’s lips as she left a quick kiss on Chaewon’s jaw. She wondered how much Yuri had told the brunette about how she convinced Minjoo to join the double date, by the confused look in Chae’s eyes, she hadn’t said anything – Minjoo would thank her for it later. **“I knew it was you, it was enough.”**

Frowning a bit, Chaewon’s warm chestnut eyes looked at her girlfriend with a mix of confusion and skepticism. **“Are you saying you fell in love at first sight?”** It was hard to believe, that out of so many people, Minjoo would fall for her when she was nothing but a clumsy, stuttering mess that day – she knew now that Minjoo never cared about her scar.

**“Maybe?”** Minjoo bit back a grin, shaking her head slightly as she found a more comfortable position on Chaewon’s shoulder. Luckily for her, the intro song for the movie was starting, giving her an excuse to end the topic there. **“Now be quiet, I want to watch this movie.”**

Chaewon was still a little confused – and slightly flustered, a childish happiness filling her being –, but she didn’t have a choice since the movie was now playing on the big screen and she was forced to pay it attention.

Two hours later, as the ending credits rolled, she stole a glance at younger brunette. Minjoo was focused on the animation throughout the whole movie, so invested in every scene that watching her reaction was as much fun as seeing the beautiful work on screen – Chaewon preferred the former, but she tried to pay the movie enough attention in case Min wanted to discuss it later.

**“I don’t think I need to ask if you enjoyed it.”** Chaewon said as the movie ended, a soft chuckle as she watched the younger girl who still had her eyes wet with tears – She pulled her closer, kissing her cheeks affectionately **. “I liked it too. But I would rather if it didn’t make you cry like a baby.”**

Pushing her away lightly – not enough to really break the embrace –, Minjoo used the back of her hand to get rid of the last traces of tears on her face. **“You’re the weird one here for not crying. It was a beautiful movie.”** And she always had been a little prone to tears as well, but it wasn’t like she was the only one crying there.

Chaewon’s answer was just hugging her closer for a couple of seconds more, before standing up to leave the place. **“I’m not making fun of you. I just don’t like seeing you cry.”** The explanation came along with an apologetic smile. **“Come on, we should go before it gets late. I want to take you that park again.”**

The offer was enough to make Minjoo jump out of her seat to follow her as they slowly made their way down and out of the room.

It was still day when they reached the park, a much different atmosphere from their first day, with kids and dogs running around, people coming and going, birds chirping and green everywhere they could see – it was quite the sight and Chaewon took in a deep breath, enjoying the clean scent of the cherry blossoms. **“What about some ice cream? Or snacks?”**

**“Are you really trying to recreate our first date?”** Minjoo asked, but there was a pleased smile on her face as she nodded in agreement. It was a lot like their first meeting, but at the same time it was so different. There was no awkwardness or fear of rejection, it was comfortable and natural and she loved every second of it. Even the ice cream tastes better – not so much as she tried to steal a bit of Chaewon’s green ice cream only to receive the unpleasant surprised of the taste of toothpaste it had; Chae laughed at her grimace.

They sat by the shadow of a tree, resting against its large trunk as they watched the cherry blossoms swing slowly as the breeze hit it lightly, carrying the petals away. The sounds of people could still be heard, but they were relatively alone there and Minjoo regretted not having a blanket with her so they could just lay down there and watch the sky – they still could, but it would ruin her jeans and Chaewon’s white sweater. So, she just held her free hand as they finished the ice cream in a comfortable silence.

**“Min?”** Chaewon started gingerly, a hint of hesitation in her voice.

Turning her head slightly to face the older girl, Minjoo gave her a lazy smile. **“'Hm?”**

Moving a little closer, Chaewon mustered the courage to continue. **“I still don’t get why you would fall for me when you cou-”**

**“It’s you. I told you, I wouldn’t want anyone else.”** The firmness of Minjoo’s tone didn’t give place for arguing, her sweet dark chocolate eyes fixed on the older Kim. **“You could’ve just said you fell for me too.”**

Chae gave her a small smile. It was hard to not wonder if she really deserved someone like Minjoo. **“Anyone would. You…”** Her eyes took in every detail of the beautiful face that was only a pretty cover for an even more precious content. **“There’s nothing to not like about you.”** The brunette was one of a kind and Chaewon couldn’t think about a single thing she hadn’t learn to appreciate about her, from her sweet voice that was so nice to the ears, to her resolute personality and kind heart. Minjoo was perfect in her eyes. **“I can see it the more I get to know you.”**

Chaewon slowly leaned in to touch her lips with hers gently, the type of kiss she had given her so many times and always brought the same feeling of safety and happiness.

Minjoo smiled softly, reaching out to bring her face close again for another sweet kiss that tasted a little bit like chocolate and mint, but she minded it, caressing her jawline as she pecked her lips a couple of times, kissing the little scar right above it before pulling away.

She was met by Chaewon’s fond smile, chestnut pools that were her gaze filled with a special glint as she hugged her a little closer to rest her forehead against hers **. “MinMin, I guess I will fulfil that promise now.”** The younger would have asked what she was talking about, but soft lips were on hers again and she could just sigh happily, her eyes closing to enjoy the moment.

Like she said, Chae wanted to keep her promise and she was more than happy to do so.

Kissing Minjoo was so normal and natural now, but it didn’t take away the thrill of every moment, especially now. The night they met and shared their only intimate kiss, she was a nervous mess, however it wasn’t the case now. Her lips were in perfect sync with Minjoo’s, gentle touches that matched the soft motions of her hands on Minjoo’s back, slowly bringing her closer. Nibbling lightly on her bottom lip, kissing it softly as she slowly turned their long pecks into a proper kiss, deepening the contact as Min hugged her by the neck, reciprocating the kiss and allowing her to taste the sweetness of her mouth.

The kiss lasted for a long time, slow and patient, careful at first and more confident as they both established a comfortable pace that was as perfect as Minjoo was for Chaewon.

She smiled slightly as her girl kissed the scar again, and for once she didn’t hate the mark, even if only a brief moment.

Minjoo pulled away slightly, mirroring Chae’s smile, her chest light and warm with so much affection filling her up. Moments like this made her sure she had made the right decision by not giving up on Chaewon.

**“I love you.”** She couldn’t help it, the words left her mouth before she could stop them. Yet she didn’t feel embarrassed, it only multiplied the feeling of happiness within her heart as she looked into Chaewon’s beautiful eyes and could only see fondness on them as the girl kissed her again.

Chae didn’t say the words that day, but it was okay, Minjoo could feel her love in every touch, look and action and it was as meaningful.

* * *

* * *

A few months later, Chaewon conclude that having her own apartment was the best thing.

Chae used to think so because this meant there was no one to fight with or have to deal with them judging her, but right now she could only think it was great because it gave her the chance of having her girlfriend over almost every night and no one would blink an eye – Maybe Minjoo’s roommate, but if the other opposed to the Kim’s escapades, Minjoo never told Chaewon about it.

It was just another Thursday night for them – what meant a lot of cuddling, some light hearted bantering, and enough kissing to make Chaewon feel all giddy inside.

They were supposed to watch a movie and go to bed after – they were indeed sitting on her bed, but she couldn’t recall what the movie was about or even remember if they had turned off the TV. Minjoo was particularly affectionate tonight and it would be a lie to say she didn’t appreciate it, actually, she was as much to blame as the younger girl for their current situation.

Her hands gripped a little tighter to the other girl’s waist, tilting her head slight to have better access to her mouth as they kissed. Minjoo’s soft lips were addictive and she couldn’t help but nibble gently on them before deepening the kiss, melting into her girlfriend’s warmth and delighting her ears with the small noises she produced every time Chaewon explored her mouth with her tongue – not that Minjoo was one to be left behind, returning the kiss with as much passion, pulling her so close that it was almost uncomfortable but the older wouldn’t ever complain about it, pulling her to her lap instead.

Chaewon was forced to separate from the girl to take a breath, her heart beating like drums on her ears as her erratic breath could be heard in the silent room – it was matched by the one coming from her girlfriend in the moment. But different from her, Minjoo didn’t seem to need much oxygen, already directing her lips do Chae’s jaw.

She bit her lip slightly to refrain from letting out a moan – even thinking about it was making her embarrassed, since when their make out session got to the point of making her forget about the building rules and make inappropriate noises? This thought left her mind as quick as it came, Minjoo lips were once again on her skin and this time she couldn’t contain a pleasured sigh.

Minjoo was leaving a trail of open-mouthed kisses on her neck, the kisses becoming longer and wetter as she progressed towards the space where Chaewon’s shoulder met her neck. Minjoo nibbled on the skin there, using her tongue to soothe the light pain her gentle bites produced – any thoughts Chae had in mind went blank, only the girl in front of her occupying her mind. Every cell on her body answered to Minjoo’s kisses, urging her to return it, to bring the woman even closer and make her hers.

She wasn’t sure when she became like this, but right now nothing else seem to matter except Minjoo for her.

Pulling away just enough to have a good look at her, the older Kim marveled at the sight of a disheveled brunette in front of her. Minjoo had her light brown hair loosely tied in a precarious ponytail, her chocolate eyes filled with the usual glint and something more that Chaewon knew all too well by now, her slightly swollen lips pushed into a small disappointed pout as she tried to come closer again. Chaewon was certain she had never seen a cuter and sexier woman in her life.

**“Chae...”** Minjoo whined softly, her hands on Chaewon’s shoulders as she tried to pull her back in.

The shorter woman didn’t budge, her eyes still staring at her figure intently.

**“You’re wearing my shirt again**. **”** She pointed out the grey plaid the younger Kim was wearing over a simple white shirt. Minjoo blinked, the light of confusion illuminating her eyes for a second.

**“Oh, this? I just...”** As if she changed her mind halfway through, Minjoo gave her an alluring smirk. She had noticed Chaewon’s gaze still on her, and a hot feeling warmed her body as she continued. **“Do you want it back now?”**

Chae’s hands come to meet the lower of her back, under the plaid and on the thin shirt that covered her skin. The girl had her sharp eyes on her face, a look of need on it. Minjoo wasn’t only attacking her heart but also her hormones today **. “Would you let me take it back?”** She pushed her down lightly, and Minjoo didn’t oppose, laying down on the bed with her hands safely around Chaewon’s neck.

As a final blow, Min’s smirk was replaced by a sweet smile, the girl lifting her head slightly so her lips could meet Chaewon’s face – kissing the small scar over her lips, allowing their lips to touch for a long moment.

**“If you think you can, come get it yourself, my love.”**

And being the fool in love she was, of course Chaewon did it. Her eager lips meeting Minjoo's, rushing to deepen the contact as her hands run wild, her slightly cold palms sending shivers through the brunette's body – all her enthusiasm was more than welcomed by the other girl who pulled her even closer, making their bodies find just the right fit, one of her hand massaging Chaewon’s scalp while the other pressed her shoulder to make sure she wouldn’t go away again; her lips inviting Chaewon back, conceding her passage as her tongues brushed against each other and the taste of mint invaded her mouth just like the scent of it was filling her senses. She never knew mint could be addictive but Chaewon surely was and she wanted more of her.

Letting out a soft moan when Chaewon hand caressed the bare skin of her back before she backed away slightly, her hands focusing on her shoulders this time – soft palms caressing it and pushing the fabric of the shirt to the side, making it slid down Minjoo’s arms so the girl could just take if off completely.

Chae’s gaze once more appreciated the sight of her girlfriend, a mix of hot agitation and a light, soft feeling filling her chest as she took in every detail of the other girl. She felt blessed for having Minjoo with her right now, not only because her kisses took her breath away and made her forget about everything, but also because the simple presence of the younger Kim was enough to make her feel like they were in their own little, almost perfect, yet so familiar, world. She didn’t want it to end.

She noticed the way Minjoo’s lips turned into a small smile, not her playful smirk, but a fond smile that reflected so well the glint in her eyes as she run her hand through Chae’s hair, tugging her in for another kiss that was less needy and more loving this time. Chaewon greeted her back with a couple of pecks, brushing their noses together to make Minjoo’s smile grow into a foolish grin that she kissed away with her own, going for Minjoo’s upper lip then her bottom one, sliding her tongue through it after softly biting it in the way she knew her girlfriend loved.

Her hands brushed back Minjoo’s hair, undoing her ponytail completely before descending to her back, feeling hot skin under the thin shirt, sizing her sides with a light grip. They were kissing once again, lips perfectly in sync, the taste of the milk chocolate Minjoo loved so much filling her mouth mixed with Min’s natural taste that always made her want to taste it over and over again.

Yet, she also wanted to taste her girlfriend’s sun-kissed skin that was so warm and soft.

Minjoo felt her brain becoming like mushy as the other broke the kiss to suck gently the sensitive skin of her jaw, nibbling on it as she made her way down, making her rest her head against the fluff pillow as Chaewon kissed her neck until she reached the little mole near the base of it, her girlfriend giving this small area of skin special care, giving it a small peck that made Minjoo smile like a fool.

**“Chae.”** It wasn’t an ‘I love you’, but they both knew what it meant, the feeling this single word carried, all the fondness that she couldn’t contain. Somehow, she felt that they were closer than ever now, not only because of their physical closeness, but more for how much care and love they were showing each other now, how Chaewon could still focus on her little details and how much love she could see every time they locked eyes.

She had shared a couple of kisses before with other people, but it didn’t feel even remotely like that, it was something special and she wanted it more than anything.

Stretching her arms to reach Chaewon’s lower back, she pulled her up, hands hastily finding their way to the hem of her shirt, jangling with it for a moment before finding the warm skin that felt so inviting to her touch. Her bare legs brushed against Chaewon’s, tangling them together, sending a wave of pleasure through her spine with the feeling the contact brought.

Chaewon searched for her mouth again, a little less gentle this time, rushing to deepen the kiss as their bodies hugged each other completely. Their breaths were hot mixed together, heartbeats almost loud enough to be heard in the silent room only filled with their soft sounds, hands roaming around everywhere, tentatively at first but soon gaining confidence.

**“Do you want me too?”** Chaewon whispered, her loud warm breath caressing Minjoo’s skin just like her hand did to her exposed knee, her thumb brushing softly against the little scar there before going up to her thigh – gentle, exploring it, but giving her all the time to reject the contact.

Minjoo just pulled the older to another kiss, short but intense, making it clear she didn’t want to stop.

**“When have I ever not wanted you?”** She whispered against her ear, biting on it gently before placing a kiss on it.

Her only reply was the weight of Chaewon on her as the older went down her collarbone with kisses that wouldn’t stop anytime soon.

* * *

Hours later as Minjoo hugged her like she was the biggest plushie ever, allowing Chaewon to listen to the beats of her heart, she felt incredibly happy and safe there in the space between Minjoo’s arms.

The plaid shirt that started it all was nowhere to be seen, forgotten somewhere on the bedroom floor, a detail that wasn’t relevant now.

Running her hands through the smooth skin of Minjoo’s back, she placed a soft kiss on the mole on her neck, the sleepy taller girl pulling her even closer as if even in her sleep Minjoo wanted her.

In that moment Chaewon didn’t think about scars and broken hearts, she only thought that she wished for this moment to never end.

She loved Minjoo too. Maybe a little too much.

* * *

Chaewon was sleeping soundly when Minjoo woke up, limbs entangled in a mess as they cuddled under the blanket. Sunlight was filtered by the white curtains, illuminating the bedroom with a soft yellowish light. She moved slightly, hiding her face on the crook of Chaewon’s neck, snuggling up to her even more. It was so warm and safe, so intimate and romantic in its own way…It was perfect.

Memories of last night filled her mind like the scent of mint and strawberry filled her lungs, every single one so precious to her. It was bound to happen since they’ve grown closer in the last couple of months and it never felt unnatural or unpleasant, it happened just at the right time and in the right way – there wasn’t a single drop of regret in her being as she hugged Chaewon and all her mind could think of was how perfect they were for each other.

Minjoo wished they could just stay like this for the rest of the day, but she could see her phone screen lit up at the bedside table and she didn’t need to check it to know the messages came from a very familiar number. It was Friday and she didn’t have morning classes, but she had somewhere else to be at.

If she was meeting anyone else, she would have rescheduled it, however it was a special case.

With a sigh she opened her eyes again, leaving a trail of soft kisses on Chaewon’s neck to wake her up – she couldn’t go without saying good morning to her properly, she didn’t want to have a bittersweet memory of this moment.

Slowly the sharp chestnut eyes were fluttered open to stare back her, sleepiness making them darker as she blinked slowly to adapt to the clarity. **“Morning, my love. Did you sleep well?”** Minjoo chirped, leaving a quick kiss on her lips and grinning like a fool. Maybe she should feel nervous, maybe she should fear Chaewon’s reaction and a possible rejection – wasn’t it common in these cases? But she didn’t, she couldn’t when Chae’s arms still hugged her and she smiled back at her in such a loving way.

**“Good morning, Min.”** Chaewon managed to say, brushing her sleepiness aside to enjoy the beautiful smile her girlfriend gifted her with. **“Friday…No morning class…Why are you up already?”**

**“I need to be somewhere…Family stuff, you know.”** She explained, her smile smaller now as she looked over her shoulder to see her phone vibrating on the table again. Heaving a sigh, she kissed the brunette once more. **“I’ll meet you at lunch. Just wait for me.”**

The older Kim nodded, still a little confused as she watched Minjoo sit up to reach for her clothes at the ending of the bed – Chaewon looked away to give her some privacy, even if it was foolish and they both knew it. **“Are you planning on borrowing my clothes again?”**

Chuckling lightly, Minjoo nodded as she slid back into her shirt and went to grab a new change of clothes from Chaewon’s closet – she knew it like the back of her hand by now. **“It was always the plan.”**

Usually they would bicker about her 'stealing' all Chaewon’s favorite clothes, but the older only watched silently as she went to take a shower.

Once she was done Chaewon greeted her with cookies and milk – probably everything she could find at the kitchen – that Minjoo still accepted even though she was about to have a proper breakfast outside.

**“Is it anything important? I...I could accompany you.”** The shy offer came as Minjoo finished her second cookie and it was one of those silly moments that made her fall in love all over again. Chaewon who usually avoids people was willing to face an unknown territory just to support her and all this while feeding her cookies herself had baked -- not the best ones, but she still loved it– and looking at her like a protective tiger cub.

Minjoo gave her a fond smile, reaching out so her thumb could trace the contour of her lips, stopping to brush gently against the little scar. **“It’s nothing much really. But I’d love if you could meet my family someday…When you’re ready.”** Leaning in, she left a long peck on her lips. **“I’ll text you later, okay?”**

Part of Chaewon felt like Minjoo was hiding something from her, but this part was too small compared to the rest of her that was overflowing with love for the girl. **“I will wait.”**

* * *

Minjoo had a large smile on her face as she sat in front of the pretty woman who was busy eating her breakfast – unsurprisingly, she didn’t wait for her to start. **“Good morning, Hye.”**

**“Minjoo.”** The older greeted, giving her a quick nod. **“How are things going with your soulmate?”**

**“It is…”** Taking her time, she bit back a smile as she reached to get a glass of orange juice for herself. Hyewon arched an eyebrow, giving her a questioning look and Minjoo couldn’t help but crack a smile. **“It couldn’t be any better!”**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter feels like an OS itself and remind everyone that consent is the real deal always! By the way, happy holidays everyone! The plan is to finish this story before the new year, so updates as schedule for the last 2 chapters. The next chapter won’t be so fluff, be ready for it.
> 
> As usual, thank you for reading and I apologize for any mistakes. See you in 2 days :)


	4. Reaching Your Pain

By the end of the semester, Chaewon was just done with her finals. Having Minjoo by her side made things easier, they helped each other in the best way they could and whenever they had any free time, it would be all about cuddles and kisses – by now it was almost like they were living together and albeit Yuri nagged them more than once, Chae would only insist for the brunette to go back to her dorm when they were too distracted with each to study properly; Minjoo would whiny, but she also had to pay attention to her school obligations.

Today, Chaewon only came to school to get her final grades, expecting some not so great results in that one subject that had haunted her throughout the semester. However, she didn’t expect things to go so horribly.

Getting bad grades when she did her best wasn’t something new to her, she was used to it. But getting a zero when she had spent a whole week working on that assignment and studying for her test was too much. Chaewon could feel frustration and rage washing over her as she stared down at the red mark on top of her paper, the same one her final test had. Why? Just why that woman hated so much? What had she done to deserve something like this? She waited for a whole month to hand her the results only to smirk at Chaewon in a superior way as she told her she wouldn’t accept cheaters in her class.

 **“I did not cheat.”** Kim said, her voice deep and heavy with hatred, eyes on the much older woman who never looked back, pretending to be busy putting away her own stuff.

 **“Do you want me to believe someone like you could get a perfect score when the others can’t? You should’ve accepted your place and not be so greedy.”** The woman’s husky voice only made her want to hit the teacher across the face, yet Chaewon only tensioned her jaw to refrain the hateful words of coming out of her mouth. Her hands grasped roughly on the papers, but she took a deep breath, managing to keep her composure and not rip it apart. No, she wouldn’t prove that woman right by acting like the lowly being she seemed to think Chaewon was.

 **“I don’t need you to believe anything, ma’am. I can prove it.”** Straightening her back to assume a more commanding posture, she carefully took her phone out of her pocket to take pictures of the papers before putting it inside a safe case. **“I’ll ask for a new grading. I know I have the right to do so.”**

The older woman scoffed, her lips still holding a sarcastic smirk. **“Cheaters don’t get rights, Kim. I already reported you.”**

 **“You reported me for doing well?!”** It was her turn to give her a humorless smile. That woman would go to such extents when all Chaewon ever wanted was to have a peaceful time. She had worked the double to be able to pass that class peacefully, but it looks like all her effort only made things worse. **“All right. I’m still asking for it, even if I have to redo the test. Because believe it or not, I deserve a good grade, and I worked hard for it.”**

 **“Its easy to talk, kid. But it won’t be easy to face the consequences of your actions.”** The threaten wasn’t subtle at all, but clearly the teacher didn’t mind her words. She was probably convinced her twisted theory about Chaewon was correct.

Chaewon once more took a deep breath before bowing politely to her, resolute in not losing this battle. **“I hope you are willing to apologize, ma’am. A person is more than just a scar, you should know it by now.”**

Turning her back to the woman, she left the classroom with heavy footsteps.

All her life she had to deal with people like this, all her life she had to rely on her own persistence and the few people who were by her side to keep going – her parents tried so hard to give her a happy, safe life, raising her as far away as possible of other people’s prejudice and ignorance. Still, they couldn’t protect her forever and the outside world was harsh.

She felt a hot, painful feeling behind her eyes as she tried to contain her tears, making her way to the other floor where she would have to fill a long request to have her work revised. Again, she asked herself why things had to be so hard for her? Why she had to work to satisfy people’s petty egos? Would it ever stop? Was there even a point in continuing trying?

Swallowing her tears, she kept her steady pace focusing on her task. She couldn’t give up, she wouldn’t.

It took her half an hour and a long series of questions and curious looks, some skeptical and some empathic ones, for her to be done with filling the request, submitting the papers for re-evaluation. Chaewon knew the chances weren’t on her favor and she would probably have to take that test again to dismiss the cheating accusation – more studying, more stress and pressure over her.

Part of her just wanted to go home and have a good crying, however Minjoo would be waiting for her there and she didn’t want to show such a pathetic side of her to the girl.

Just like her – lack of – luck, as soon as she stepped outside the rain started to fall, making the pavement wet as she tried to get her umbrella from her backpack to make her way down the steps – she never got to do so, the umbrella opening in a weird angle, completely useless, and as she tried to hush her steps after throwing the broken umbrella into a trash can, she was met by a group of students who passed by her in a hurry, shoulders and arms shoving her aside.

The combination of the rain and the rude students led her to an unpleasant fate: she lost her balance, tripping over the steps and falling, her arms and face meeting the cold and hard pavement as she reached the bottom of the steps. It happened so fast that she couldn’t even try to protect herself properly, her hands instinctively coming to try to cover her face and receiving the majority of the impact of the fall, albeit her forehead still hit the ground.

Pain filled her body as she tried to seat up, the taste of blood on her mouth, and her hands burning as a thin line of blood made its way down her forehead. She felt dizzy and lost – and so freaking _unlucky_.

Even though it hurt, it didn’t hurt as much as watching the students walk past her without even hesitating, no one asked how she was doing or tried to help – the same people from her class earlier, they probably had for her as little sympathy as the teacher.

Warm tears filled her eyes again, and she didn’t try to hide it, letting the rain wash it away.

Bearing a scar made her existence a constant battle, but never a fair one.

 **“Chaewonie? Chaewon!”** Nako's voice came accompanied of long, strong arms helping to lift Chaewon up, a smile with deep dimples and concerned eyes welcoming her as she looked up to see her savior.

 **“Oh man! Are you okay?”** The stranger asked, but Nako shouted again before Chaewon could bring herself to answer.

**“Yujin, cover her with the umbrella! Let’s take her to the nurse’s officer!”**

* * *

Minjoo was pacing back and forth, phone in hand and eyes on the dark afternoon sky filled with fat grey clouds. Chaewon was supposed to meet her there, they would go out to try and get some last-minute photos to help her finish her portfolio for next week – she already had so many, but it was better to have a lot to pick from than struggle to find a decent one. However, as the clouds gathered to turn the bright day into a lifeless, grey one, there was no signal of her girlfriend. She tried to text her first, but as the minutes went by and she received no reply, a nervous energy filled her body, worry washing over her in waves as she started to think about worst case scenarios.

Her neck nearly snapped, how quickly she turned to look at the door as she heard someone opening it and she didn’t even wait before taking big strides to come to Chaewon’s meeting. **“Chaewon, what took you so long? I saw the rain starting and…”** Her voice died down as she watched her girlfriend’s precarious state. Chae’s clothes were wet and dirty, her drenched hair sticking to her head, a visible swollen area on her forehead and on her bottom lip, her eyes shot red without a glimpse of the usual glint – Chaewon looked broken, as lifeless as the grey sky. **“Chae…”** Gingerly, she lifted a hand to carefully touch her face, but the girl stepped back, avoiding her touch.

Chaewon raised a hand, trying to cover up how swollen her lips were – she had bit the soft skin hard during the fall and only noticed when Yujin, Nako’s loud and kind friend, handed her a cold drink to apply on it to ease up the swollenness. She knew how much of a mess she looked like right now, seeing it reflected on Minjoo’s dark eyes made it seem much worse. She wished she could fake a smile and tranquilize her, but it would be of no use now. **“I had a little accident, you know how I am.”**

 **“It doesn’t look like a little accident!”** Minjoo’s voice was higher than usual, her concern evident as she tried to reach for Chaewon’s hands to pull her towards the couch – the older winced in pain as soon as her fingers met the wounded skin of her palms. **“Oh my god, I’m sorry!”**

 **“No, no! My hands are just…A little scratched**. **I fell on the stairs.”** The older showed her palms, the red scratched skin would slowly turn into purple, having received all her weight when she tried to protect her face earlier. Nako and Yujin had helped her clean up, but she insisted on coming home instead of seeing the campus nurse **. “Don’t worry about it. Nako and her friend helped me and gave me a ride…I must’ve ruined her car seat. I should probably pay her back for it.”**

 **“I’ll thank her for it later, but I’m sure she doesn’t want your money.”** Minjoo frowned, carefully tugging into her sleeve, making the older follow her to the bedroom. She would indeed thank Nako for helping, but also ask her about what really happened, because she highly doubted it was just a simple fall. Chaewon could be clumsy sometimes, but it didn’t explain the dejected look in her eyes at the moment. **“It’s raining and it’s easy to slip and fall.”** She added in a sweet voice, grabbing a first aid kit from Chae’s bathroom cabinet, to aid to her wounds. She knew how much the bad luck stigma affected her and the last thing she wanted was for the girl to think even more about it. **“I hate seeing you hurt, but everyone falls once in a while.”**

 **“Yes…”** Chaewon allowed her to take her left hand, her eyes watching as Minjoo skillfully cleaned up the palm, applying some ointment on it. She was grateful for having Min in her life, someone who was always ready to ease her burden and provide her with care and protection, however she also felt like she was burdening her with her problems. Minjoo could’ve left for her photoshoot hours ago, instead she was there waiting for her and now she had to take care of her. With a heavy sigh, she felt her eyes burning as the words left her mouth. **“But does everyone get a perfect zero in all assignments because they were born with a mark on their face?”**

The younger stopped to look up, realization slowly hitting her. **“What? But you did everything, even extra activities!”**

 **“That teacher she…I guess she just despises me…People like me.”** Taking her hand off of Minjoo’s, she tried to keep herself calm as she spoke. It was selfish, but she felt the need to rant to someone about it and Minjoo was the one person she had started to rely on for the last couple of months. **“All that work and she still thought I’m nothing but a cheater. She even reported me.”**

 **“She reported you?!”** The taller girl felt her heart skip a beat, but not for the right reasons. She had seen how hard Chaewon worked to keep her grades, how much effort she put on it to prove people she was as good as the others, still all she got was blatant discrimination instead of praise. **“Chae, I’m so sorry!”** She said, sitting by her side and lifting her hand to rub her back in calming motions. **“She is crazy! This is not your fault.”**

 **“Funny thing is, it’s not the first time.”** The older brunette just shook her head, her lips twisted in a sarcastic smile that only hurt more the swollen skin. She had always knew that for some people she would never be more than the mark on her face, no matter how hard she tried – yet, she was never completely ready to face it. **“They always doubt me, always think that I can’t do anything on my own, that I’m no good…That I will never be.”** She muttered the last words, her lips quivering, breaking the smile as she looked down to her wounded hands – Salty tears fell on it, the burning in her eyes only getting worse as her chest hurt, the air coming out to give place to pain.

It wasn’t only for today, but for every day she had to face this kind of treatment, for every day she had to hold in the tears and put on a strong façade.

 **“I was home schooled because the other kids at school bullied me and the teachers didn’t even try to stop them…One of them even said I didn’t belong there…”** It was so long ago, but still hurt like it had just happened, maybe because the teacher had helped to bring back her old, hurtful memories. **“And I cried so much when I got home that my mom never allowed me to come back there.”** Even as an adult, she would still run to her mother if she could – but wasn’t running to Minjoo similar to it? She was looking for comfort in the presence of someone she loved and she couldn’t deny she had learned to love Minjoo. **“I thought things would be different now, that I was strong enough to face it…That maybe people were different now, but…”** She let out a humorless chuckle. **“But it won’t ever change.”**

Seeing the older girl so crushed pained Minjoo, her arms coming to hug Chae, holding her in a safe embrace. Biting on her bottom lip, she tried to contain her own tears, as she tried to comfort her girl. She liked to think they could change things, that if they were together, they could overcome anything – but at the end of the day, there was no way for her to protect Chaewon of everything, they couldn’t simply change people’s opinions and change years of prejudice like that. Still, it hurt. More than any physical wound, the harmful words and actions had hurt Chaewon deeply and it wouldn’t disappear anytime soon – no matter how hard Minjoo hugged her, or how many kisses she left on her head with soft words…All she could do was try to give her some comfort and hide how much it affected her too.

 **“I love you, Chae.”** She couldn’t promise her everything would be okay, or that they would be able to change her grades or that professor’s opinion, but she could cover her with all her love and affection, and hope for the best. **“And I’m so sorry for everything, but I’m here now.”**

Chaewon slowly relaxed in her embrace, the older felt tired and out of breath due to the crying, resting her body against Minjoo’s and sinking in her warmth and protection. It hurt so much, but Minjoo’s presence helped to ease the pain, her gentle touches and soothing voice were enough to make her feel better.

 **“I love you too.”** Her words came out in a whisper, yet they carried so much weight. She loved Min, so much that her heart almost couldn’t handle, so much that her wounded hands still wanted to hold her tight and her swollen lips still wanted to kiss her, because she knew that if Minjoo was there, it would be okay.

After all, Minjoo was her safe haven now.

* * *

It took Chaewon several minutes to calm down completely, and Minjoo was there, patiently caressing her back and leaving light kisses on her head. She could feel her heart heavy, a sharp pain on her chest every time she heard the older woman sob quietly, almost as if Chaewon’s pain was hers too – she hugged her a little tighter, closing her eyes and wishing she indeed could take away all her pain and suffering, that she could heal her and make her whole again.

 **“You should take a hot shower before you get sick.”** She finally suggested, slowly pulling away to face Chaewon. **“Take your time. I’ll get you something warm to drink after you’re done.”** Giving her a small smile, she received a slightly clumsy kiss on her cheek as Chae muttered a ‘thank you’ before standing up to head to the bathroom.

Minjoo waited until she heard the water running in the bathroom to leave the room, her steps slowly leading her to the living room. She wanted to make them some tea, but she stopped before reaching the kitchen, her hands shaking as she reached for Chaewon’s backpack in the couch – it was also wet and a little torn, dirty. Chae’s notes were probably ruined too.

She tried to organize it, but her hands were trembling.

Her shoulders were also shaking now, all thanks to the sob trapped in her throat, wanting to get out urgently. She tried so hard to contain her tears earlier, but now she couldn’t help but cry her heart out. It felt so unfair that someone like Chaewon had to go through this, so unfair that she couldn’t have what everyone else took for granted, so unfair that Minjoo couldn’t do anything but try to pick up the pieces once someone else had broken her again…Hugging the backpack to her chest, she let her tears fall, allowing her pain to dissipate along with them.

She had always been sensitive, always cared too much about others and crying wasn’t a rare event for her. However, it was more than simple empathy, it was almost as if she could feel all of Chaewon’s pain from all those years, as if this burden was now hers too. Her chest hurt, it was almost like she couldn’t breathe, like needles were pricking her heart over and over again…She never had felt something like this before.

Her weak legs gave up, making her take a seat on the couch as she allowed herself to cry her pain away – even if only for a little while. Chae would be done with her shower soon and she had to be ready to show her a calm façade, she should be the one providing comfort and not the other way around. Later she would also have to meet with Yuri and Yena and see if they could come up with anything to help Chaewon.

She was wrong to think she would be able to hide it from the older Kim.

While Minjoo was in the living room, Chaewon had taken a quick shower and was now changing into comfortable clothes, she still felt tired but it didn’t hurt as much now. She just wanted to cling to Minjoo and sleep, even though it was still afternoon – unfortunately, she didn’t get the chance of doing it.

Chae had barely slid into her soft dark green sweater when she felt a sharp pain on her chest, making her bend forward, her hand came to grip on it, kneading the soft fabric of the sweater. It was like someone had punched her hard, taking the air out of her lungs. However, the pain disappeared as quickly as it came, now there was a sudden burning feeling in her mouth – her upper lip, to be more precise. It wasn’t like a real burn, more like a discomfort that quickly turned into numbness as she tried to touch the sensitive area. She felt her body shivering as she took a long stride to be in front of the bathroom’s mirror, her fingers still trying to feel the slightly rough skin under it – her birthmark.

Albeit it didn’t feel like it was supposed to.

The numbness increased in her skin, but panic start spreading through her body as she looked into the mirror and watched as one of the thin lines faded away slowly, the white-ish skin turning back to her natural skin tone as if it was never there to begin with.

That was it, not even a full minute and it was gone. Three lines becoming two, the scar wasn’t as easy to spot now that the most prominent line was gone.

She should feel relieved, she should be happy for that little miracle and pray for it to happen again, to finally be set free from the marks that cursed her life. But she didn’t. Only one thing was on her mind right now.

 **“Minjoo.”** Chaewon whispered as realization hit her. Hyewon’s words echoing in her mind.

_“You know, I heard that if you get to break the heart of someone who really loves you, the scar will disappear forever. Just like that, poof!”_

Just like that. Was Hyewon always right? She only had to hurt Minjoo to get rid of the scar for good?

Running out of the bathroom, she searched for Min in the bedroom and then went to the living room, finding her wiping some tears as she hugged her backpack – she didn’t try to break her heart, but somehow she had done it. Somehow, she managed to hurt her and the result was one less line on her face.

 **“Min?”** She called gingerly, the hesitation in her voice revealing her fragile state of mind. She had promised herself, promised them, to try to make things work out, but if this was the outcome, she would regret it forever. A life without a scar would be a blessing, yet it was not worth sacrificing someone she loved – and she loved Minjoo, much more than she ever thought she could, to the point that her heart was beating fast on her ears now, scared of facing the younger girl and see the hurt on her face. **“Minjoo…A-Are you okay?”**

Minjoo didn’t reply right away, trying her best to compose herself before she could face Chaewon again. She shouldn’t be crying right now, she didn’t want to make the older Kim feel even worse. Forcing a smile into her face, she stood up, looking at Chae who was staring at her from the other side of the room – she had a concerned look on her face, and she looked even more pale than before. Standing by the doorframe she looked small and vulnerable **. “Hey! I thought you’d take longer in the shower.”** Her smile became more natural as she stared at her girlfriend with fondness, she just wanted to give Chaewon a big hug and that’s what she tried to do walking up to her. **“Just give me a minute and I’ll make u-”**

 **“No need.”** Chae stopped her before she could touch her, averting her gaze to the floor. Part of her was relieved that Minjoo’s face was as flawless as before, that whatever damage she made couldn’t be seen, but a bigger part of her felt like her world was falling over her head. She could see Min’s swollen face and red eyes, she could see the hesitation in her smile – how ironic was it that she hadn’t broken her heart, but instead Minjoo had done it herself by pitying her so much? She couldn’t risk it happening ever again. Chaewon wouldn’t pass her burden and pain on someone else. **“You should go home and work on your portfolio. I made you waste a lot of time today, I’m sorry.”** Her words were said in a soft voice, she didn’t want to hurt her even more, however she couldn’t ignore what had just happened.

A frown was formed on Minjoo’s face as she let her arms fall to her sides, by now they were way too close for her to not notice when something was wrong with Chaewon. Her dark eyes looked for Chae’s lighter ones, failing to meet her gaze as the older just stood there, keeping a stiff posture as she avoided her. **“Chae, are you still feeling bad? It’s okay…I mean it’s not, but we can figure a way to prove your innocence and get your grades back.”**

Taking a deep breath, Chaewon shook her head slowly. **“I already filled a request for another grading, but I’ll probably have to do all assignments again. You don’t need to worry about me, I’ll be fine.”** It was her turn to force a smile, one much less convincing one. Hugging Minjoo and apologizing for hurting her was all she wanted, still she kept her instance, refusing to let her weak side win again. It was all her fault, if she hadn’t allowed Minjoo into her life again, it wouldn’t have happened. **“I’m fine now, so I should probably start studying.”**

 **“No, you are not. Why would you pretend to be?”** Ignoring her body language, Minjoo took a step closer so she could cup Chaewon’s small face in between her hands, not allowing her to avoid her gaze this time. The chestnut eyes that looked back at her were opaque, lacking its natural light, full of guilt and pain. Minjoo felt her heart shrink inside her chest. **“Just talk to me.”** Her words were almost a whisper, if not a spoken reply, she expected to see something change in her eyes – Chaewon refused to look back at her, she didn’t push her away or tried to break the contact, but there was no reply.

As the seconds went by, Minjoo felt the same pain from earlier hitting her, the need of receiving comfort was there too – why couldn’t they just find it in each other’s embrace like it had always been? Why would Chaewon refuse to give them it?

The answer came in the form of a sad smile, one that forced Minjoo to pay attention to the curve of Chae’s lips, instead of her eyes.

The living room wasn’t well illuminated, there was only the weak light of the grey afternoon coming from the windows, giving everything a melancholic tone to it. Maybe that’s why it took Minjoo so long to notice it, or perhaps it was because for her the scar on Chaewon’s face had always been such a minor detail that her mind couldn’t pay it much attention in a moment like this – one way of another, now she saw it.

Instead of three lines, there were only two. Minjoo’s breath hitched, her lungs out of air all of sudden. **“Your scar…”** Her thumbs brushed lightly against the skin, proving what her eyes already knew.

 **“Min…Please.”** Chaewon asked with pleading eyes, feeling the scar warm up under Minjoo’s delicate touch. There was a connection between them, one Hyewon didn’t mention when she told her about that theory. This connection seemed able to make or break them and she wasn’t ready to face the latter. **“I think I need some time alone now.”**

Minjoo heaved a deep sigh, her hands letting go of Chaewon’s face, albeit she didn’t step away from her. Now the pain in her chest made sense, all the hurt she had felt…It was starting to hurt again just to hear Chae speak like that. Being away wasn’t the solution, but she doubted she would be able to convince her now. **“Do you think being alone will fix anything?”**

 _No_. Chaewon thought it would make her miserable, that would turn this terrible day in many others. But maybe being away from her would make their bond weaker, maybe it would slowly turn love into indifference and she wouldn’t ever be able to hurt Minjoo again. **“I’m hoping it won’t break anything else.”** _She was hoping it wouldn’t break her heart._

She expected a quick reply, a protest or even one of the tight hugs Minjoo seem to think could fix everything – but she only got a long, pained stare as Min waited for a long moment for her to change her mind. She didn’t, she only muttered under breath. **“I’m sorry. For everything.”**

Shaking her head slightly, the taller girl finally gave up, slowly stepping away from Chaewon to go and grab her things so she could leave. It wasn’t her apartment, but as she walked towards the front door, she felt as if she was leaving her everything behind – maybe she was.

She stopped by the door, hand on the knob, her ears trying to pick the sound of steps – nothing came, Chaewon didn’t move from her place, keeping her head low and shoulders curved in defeat. Minjoo grabbed onto the knob with more strength, a different kind of tears threatening to run down her face now, frustration and sadness hitting her. **“You’ll only put us both through more pain. I just hope it doesn’t take you too long to realize it.”** With these final words, she opened the door to leave.

Chae didn’t stop her, she only heard her footsteps getting farther and farther away after the door closed, taking Minjoo away from her. It was for the best, wasn’t it? So why was it so hard to breathe now? Why she felt even worse than when she noticed the missing scar? Would it break their hearts even more or keep them safe?

For the second time that day, Chaewon just broke down, cursing the bad luck that hard awarded her such complicated life – this time Minjoo wasn’t there to comfort her and she could only feel emptiness as her tears dried and she found herself in a dark room.

* * *

* * *

Minjoo sighed, resting her chin on her arms that were crossed on top of her desk, her eyes looking into the distance through the dirty window of their dorm room. It would rain today again, she felt like it was raining ever since that day.

Her phone screen lit up with a new notification, but she had only taken a look at it, before ignoring the device. Chaewon was texting her, asking her if she was okay – again, it seem like the only thing she would tell her for the past week. Chae didn’t disappear on her, although she avoided her presence at all costs, her text messages would come every day to check on her as if the older girl was worried something could happen if she didn’t. Knowing the reason for her behavior pained Minjoo even more, and although she understood her reasons, it didn’t hurt any less.

She missed seeing her every day, sharing cheap convenience store food as they talked about their classes and made plans for the week. She missed seeing Chaewon’s eyes lit up whenever she saw her after a long day, right before the girl welcome her with a hug. She missed going to sleep in her arms and waking up to sweet ‘good morning’s and clumsy kisses full of affection. She missed Chaewon.

 **“Aren’t you going to answer that?”** Yuri asked, her voice quiet, not really pressuring her, just curious. The younger girl was in a complicated position there, between her roommate who would spend her days sighing and her cousin who would spend her days hiding at the library – with her own number of pitiful sighs. She had tried to talk to both, but there wasn’t much she could do when Chaewon was being thick-headed and Minjoo suddenly decided to not act like a determined stalker for once – honestly she didn’t quite understand what was going on, even talking with Yena didn’t help since her girlfriend was as clueless as her. There was more to it than the two girls were letting them know. **“She gets pretty worried when you don’t reply.”**

 **“She is always worried. But never enough to actually come here to see me.”** The Kim replied with a heavy sigh, slowly reaching for her phone to check the text again. She hated the way Chaewon was dealing with that, and she hated herself a little bit for not being able to ignore her _. ‘I’m staying at the dorm the whole day. Don’t worry.’_ She replied and right away a simple _'thank you, take care’_ message arrived. Another sigh, Chaewon wasn’t coming to see her today either. **“I’ll go back home tomorrow. You told her right?”**

 **“Not yet…”** Yuri admitted, giving her an apologetic look. Trying to help those two was giving her a headache. **“Should I?”**

 **“I guess it doesn’t matter.”** Minjoo tried to shrug her shoulders nonchalantly, but her indifference was clearly not real. She expected Chaewon to have given up on this stupid idea by now, such a noble idiot she had fallen for – still, she couldn’t get mad at her for it, not when she knew the situation so well. **“Maybe it will make things easier for her if she can focus completely on studying.”**

Jo sighed – maybe she was getting infected by the sighing epidemy –, standing up to pat Minjoo’s back in comfort. **“She will come back to you, Min. I don’t know why you two are acting like this, but clearly is not like you don’t love each other.”**

The taller girl gave her a small, thankful smile. She wanted to believe it too, but as the days went by, she couldn’t help but feel more apprehensive. **“Unfortunately, the problem is exactly that.”**

 **“Eh?”** Yuri raised her eyebrows, giving her a questioning look.

 **“It’s complicated, we…”** Minjoo’s phone screen lit up with another notification, this time a different name popping up, immediately taking her mind off of the conversation. **“I will explain it to you someday, but not now. I have to pick this up.”** She informed before leaving a confused Yuri behind, getting out of the room to call the familiar number.

She took a deep breath before dialing the number, it only ring once before the older girl picked up. **“Hyewon? Hi. I know you’re busy, but I really needed to talk to you…It’s about Chaewon.”**

* * *

Chaewon had been drowning in books and self-pity for the whole week.

Taking a seat by one of the most isolated tables, at the far back of the library, she practically camped there, studying a semester’s worth of material, while the rest of the students were already leaving to go back home. Her request for a new grading was granted, and although she got good grades for her assignment as the school board confirmed none of her papers was plagiarized – shutting down the teacher’s accusation and her ego –, they couldn’t attest her innocent regarding the exam as there was no way to prove she didn’t cheat and the professor’s word was still against her, therefore she would have to take a new test under another teacher’s supervision. Getting a bad grade was out of question for her, so she had to study everything again to make sure her score would be nothing less but perfect.

Part of her was glad she had something to do, otherwise she would be at home thinking about Minjoo and searching about birthmarks like a maniac – even though she knew she wouldn’t find anything other than crazy, baseless theories. It was hard enough looking at the mirror every day and noticing the missing line, a constant remind that she had a good reason to stay away from Minjoo, no matter how much she missed her – she still showed it, through awkward text messages that probably looked like a robot had wrote them, all her longing put into small sentences carefully crafted to try to hide her pain. She wondered if Minjoo was getting tired of her by now, feeling annoyed and confused by what she was doing – she couldn’t blame her if it was the case, Chaewon never gave her a proper explanation after all.

It occurred her to talk to Yena, her best friend, but knowing Choi she would probably just tell her to stop being such a coward and talk to Minjoo already. Yena couldn’t possibly understand her inner struggle, the same goes for Yuri and even her parents – they all loved and cared about her, she knew it and was grateful for them, but it didn’t mean they could understand. If her, the one carrying that damned scar, could barely understand what was going on, how could anyone else know?

It was weird, but all she wished for lately, was for her scar to never disappear – at least not if it meant hurting the person she loved. Minjoo was a good thing that happened to her, regardless of all her bad luck she had met someone as loving and warm, if only she could keep her, bearing a scar wouldn’t be so bad. Life was playing a twisted game on her by giving her such fate.

Her gaze fell over her phone, the screen dark, indicating she hadn’t got any new messages. She sighed, disappointment washing over her as she rested her head over one of her books. Of course, Minjoo wouldn’t reply to her again – what was there to say? It wasn’t like she gave her any space to talk, and for once Minjoo wasn’t willing to be the one doing all the work. Chaewon grimaced, maybe she should apologize, her girlfriend deserved better than being treated like this…If she could still call her like that.

 **“Kim Chaewon?”** The sound of a voice so close to her almost made her jump from her seat, her eyes growing wide as she recognized a face she didn’t think she would see ever again.

 **“Hyewon?”** She tried, her voice almost breaking as she stared at the brunette. She still looked pretty much the same, but there was a big difference now – there wasn’t a scar on her face anymore.

The older woman gave her a smirk, nodding. **“Good you remember me. I think we need to talk.”**

Chaewon couldn’t say anything, just nod as she precariously packed her stuff to leave the library.

* * *

The place they choose to visit, was a quiet park outside the campus, a place only old people seem to visit to feed the pigeons – not so surprising, considering how cold the days were getting now. Chaewon didn’t really like coffee, but Hyewon had insisted on picking up a warm drink before they head to the place, and the younger was in no position to refuse – she expected to receive some answers and Hyewon was the only one who could have it.

 **“Have you ever thought about what the scars really mean?”** Hyewon was the first one to talk, her dark gaze hovering over Chaewon’s face, inspecting it as if she was about to analyze her answer – however, she didn’t give her the chance of saying anything. **“The bad luck thing is just one of the versions.”** Hye proceeded with a stern tone. **“Some say they used to be an icon of luck instead, that people just got annoyed not everyone could have it, so they tainted the meaning…I have studied a lot about it in the last few years.”**

The younger woman moved on her seat, slightly uncomfortable. Hyewon always had a way with the words, as if she knew too much and was never telling everything – it hadn’t changed, albeit her tone wasn’t as mischievous now, Chae could still sense something was off about her words. Therefore, she only nodded slowly in response.

Glancing back at her cup, Hyewon took of the cap to take a sip before continuing. **“Actually, some people say it was the way for your soulmate to recognize you.”**

Chaewon pressed her free hand into a fist, taking a deep breath. After what happened, she was pretty sure that scar was nothing but bad luck. **“There is no such a thing as a soulmate.”**

Hyewon glanced at her, nodding as well. **“Yes. I guess for _some_ of us there isn’t.”** Shrugging her shoulders, she played with the cup sleeve for a moment, before lifting her gaze again. **“Titles don’t really matter in the end.”**

 **“I wish they didn’t.”** Kim said more to herself than to Hyewon. Soulmates didn’t exist, but ‘cursed’ people like them did, and this was the title she would have to live her whole life with.

The wind was blowing as the two of them stayed in silence. Chaewon had a lot to ask, but the beginning of the conversation had made her forget her curiosity for a moment, the melancholic feeling taking over as she watched the lifeless park.

She wondered how different her life would be if Hyewon had never told her about that, she wondered if she would have been able to live a better life and accept Minjoo easily…Now Hyewon was talking about soulmates, it was almost funny how her narrative had changed since then. Chaewon wished the girl was right this time, but they both knew her former theory was correct.

Sighing, she turned to face Hyewon, her eyes going to the point where her scar used to be, watching with attention for any traces of it – none.

 **“I know what you’re thinking. I didn’t go to a doctor, I’m not that dumb.”** Hyewon said in between sips on her hot coffee, a small cloud of hot air forming whenever she breathed. She had taken a seat at one of the wooden benches, Chaewon following suit as she heard her. **“It would be a waste of time and money.”**

Of course, they both knew that. You’re not supposed to get rid of your birthmark, by any meanings, therefore if Hyewon had done it, it should be a very special case.

Unconsciously she took a hand to her own scar, fingers brushing against it – yeah, she knew about special cases now. **“Then how did you get rid of it?”**

Hyewon side eyed her, a glimpse of impatience in her eyes. **“You know the answer.”**

 **“Did you really…?”** Chaewon trailed off, refusing to put her thoughts into words.

 **“Yeah.”** The reply came without any hesitation, the older woman was ready to talk about it – she wouldn’t have looked for Chaewon if she wasn’t. That, however, didn’t mean it was a pleasant topic for her. **“Not my proudest moment, but it worked.”**

Putting down her coffee, she prepared to tell the story, while Chaewon only watched her with attentive eyes – she had a lot of questions, but she would listen to Hyewon first, and hope her words could bring her the answers she needed.

 **“I met her when I was still in high school, she was helping out with summer classes and she was just nice to everyone. No matter who, even me.** **At first it wasn’t about the scar, I didn’t even think I had an actual chance with her, but…”** Hyewon’s lips curved into a bitter smile, guilt on her dark eyes as she thought about the past. **“Someday she just confessed and we started dating. Being with her was nice, really nice, it made me feel happy…Happier.”** She sighed, immersed in the memories of days long gone, days Chaewon could only compare to her own, spent with Minjoo.

 **“But you know, everything else was still bad. My scar wasn’t as small as yours, I couldn’t hide it even if I tried, so everyone else still treated me the same way and it was just so hard all the time…I felt more and more like I needed to break free from this curse and…And I eventually did.”** Hyewon let her gaze get lost in the distance, her tone as cold as the weather as she spoke. **“As I said, not my proudest moment, but at the time I thought it would be worth it, that it was the only way for me to have a better life.”** With a sigh, she older brunette finished her story, picking up her cup once more to down the rest of the lukewarm coffee. 

Chaewon nodded slowly, taking in all she heard. It wasn’t that different from her own story, only that she had never allowed herself to be seduced by the idea of a live without the mark – if anything, it was quite the opposite, it was the reason why she was there now instead of cuddling with Minjoo back in her apartment. However, she couldn’t really judge Hyewon’s actions, not when she knew how hard life could be for people like them. **“The person…What happened to her?”**

 **“She hates me. As she should.”** Hyewon shrugged her shoulders, nonchalant. It wasn’t anything new. **“You know, back then I didn’t know it all. I thought that finding someone to use would be okay as long as I could erase the scar for good.”** Turning to face the younger girl, she made sure to make eye contact before adding. **“I was wrong. Ridiculously wrong.”**

Asking if she regretted doing it seem silly when she could tell by her look how guilty and tired the woman was. Chaewon hadn’t seen her in years, but she still remembered the glint her eyes used to have. **“I always thought a life without a scar would be better, but I guess it’s not all that matters.”**

 **“It is better, in some ways. All bad luck, all dirty looks and free insults are gone. You know, just _poof_.”** Hyewon’s tone carried a note of sarcasm now, her smirk didn’t match her eyes. **“But I still regret it. Breaking her heart broke me too. It doesn’t go only one way, my scar may be in her heart now, but it is in mine too, and sometimes I can still feel whenever she hurts.”**

The younger girl exhale feeling her chest heavy, tearing her gaze away from the raven-haired girl to look down at her hands. Would she still be able to feel when Minjoo was hurting even if they were apart? She had felt something that night before the scar disappeared, was it Minjoo’s pain? She closed her hands into fists, frustration and sadness mixed in her heart. That mark had too much power for something you could barely see, even more than she ever thought – or did it really? Maybe it wasn’t the scar, but the love they shared that caused it all…Either way, it pained her that they were now stuck in this situation.

Hyewon’s voice took her out of her thoughts, her tone flat, but with a hint of interest now. **“What about you? Your scar doesn’t seem the same.”**

 **“This…”** Her hand instinctively went to touch the two lines, before a sigh left her lips. **“I never meant for it to happen, but somehow it did. I don’t want her to get hurt because of me.”**

 **“So, you didn’t do anything to break her heart, but you still did?”** Hyewon arched her eyebrows, turning slightly on her seat to have a better look at her younger companion. **“How come?”**

 **“No, I…”** She tried to explain, a grimace on her face as she remembered the scene from that night. She never meant for it to happen, but still felt guilty regardless. **“I guess she cares too much and maybe that’s even worse. I’m not even trying and she still suffering.”** Chaewon curved her shoulders in a defeated posture. Could she even win against this curse? With or without a scar, it would always torment her. **“I’m keeping my distance now. I don’t want to lose the scar if it’s on her expense.”**

Hyewon didn’t reply right again, shaking her head slightly as she heard the Kim speak. **“This sounds…Pretty dumb**.” Was her conclusion, a smirk on her face as she looked at the younger girl with a knowing gaze. **“Kim Chaewon, are _you_ dumb? Are you pushing her away for _loving_ you too much?”**

The offense was clear, she was trying to knock some sense into Chaewon and her harsh words hit hard against Chae’s fragile determination, making it crack under her strong gaze. **“I don’t want us to have the same fate you and your girlfriend did.”** Kim admitted in a small voice, more afraid of attracting such fate, than to offend her old friend.

 **“You won’t.”** Hye didn’t even hesitate, her smirk was no longer there, but she wasn’t annoyed at the younger girl – she looked solemn, guilt back to taint her pretty dark eyes. **“What happened was my fault, I purposely did that to her. I fucked it up. But you’re not like me, are you?”**

 **“I’m not.”** Chaewon frowned, she may not be the best for Minjoo, but she always wished to be – she couldn’t imagine doing what Hyewon had done, it was never a possibility to her. **“I’m trying my best to not be.”**

 **“Well you’re not doing a good job!”** Hyewon snorted, giving her a judgmental look that made Chaewon wince in her seat. **“Don’t you think pushing her away will hurt her too? That it will make her feel sad and make her cry? That it will break her heart _again_?” **The older woman seemed genuinely irritated now – or maybe frustrated would be a better word, as if she couldn’t believe how dense the Kim was being. **“Is that what you want for Minjoo? What she deserves?”**

 **“N-No! Of course not!”** Chaewon stuttered, straightening her back to stand up to Hyewon. Her words were like a slap on her face and she didn’t like the feeling of it. All she ever tried to do was the best for the both of them, but it all seem so wrong when Hyewon put it in this way. **“I’m just…”** She stopped halfway through, noticing something off. **“H-How do you know her name?”**

Hyewon rolled her eyes at Chaewon’s words, getting impatient now. **“Why do you think I came to find you?”**

Of course, for Chaewon it didn’t make much sense at all. Not when she hadn’t seen this girl in ten years and as far as she was concerned, they had no connection besides carrying birthmarks once. **“How do you know about her? About us? Hyewon what-”**

 **“Just tell her the truth. _Everything_. Let her choose whether or not she wants to stay. Even though I’m pretty sure you already know the answer for it too.”** Standing up, Hyewon gave her a small smile, giving up on her tough act – she knew she had gotten to the girl already. **“You’re a nice person, Chaewon, maybe that’s why you have such a small birthmark. Don’t act like a fool and deny you and Minjoo the happy ending you guys deserve.”**

Chae tried to hold her back, by pulling on her arm gently. **“Wait! You didn’t tell me how your mark disappeared!”**

 **“It was completely gone the morning after I broke up with her, only the pain left.”** Her eyes were like onyx now, dark and unreadable – maybe her actions would haunt her forever. **“Again, we’re not similar at all.”** Patting Chaewon’s head lightly, in a very uncharacteristic action, she gave her a smirk. **“I got to go now, but we’ll meet a lot more often in the future, so take care and make sure to keep your soulmate happy.”**

Chaewon looked back at her, nodding slowly. **“That’s all I ever wanted.”**

**“Then do it. It’s up to you turn this mark in a good luck icon instead of a bad one.”**

The older brunette left before Chaewon could oppose again, leaving the Kim with a confused expression behind. Hyewon had indeed given her some answers, as well as some important advice, but she also had brought with her even more doubts – maybe Chae wouldn’t ever get the answers for all of them.

However, she knew she shouldn’t take Hye’s words lightly. Soulmate or not, Minjoo deserved to be happy and she had to decide quickly, if she should try to be a part of this happiness.

It was ridiculous really, after all, the answer was obvious.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thanks to Cherry. I’m probably posting the final chapter in a couple of hours.


	5. Reaching Our Fate

Minjoo was having an awful day.

She had come back home, her house wasn’t even that far from college, but she expected to be able to relax more and take her mind off of… Whatever was going on between her and Chaewon – it wasn’t working quite like she planned. Her family was still busy with her own things, her loving parents had given her plenty of hugs and kisses, but they still had to on a business trip over the weekend, and her sister wouldn’t come until next week, what meant she would spend her first free weekend by herself at home.

It wasn’t that bad really, she could just chill out watching TV and eating all the strawberry ice cream she could find – but she just couldn’t bring herself to do it. Sitting down to watch a movie reminded her of how she used to cuddle with Chaewon back in her apartment and the strawberry ice cream reminded her of the smell Chae’s hair carried…Calling Yuri to rescue her from her loneliness, only to hear her being adorable with her own girlfriend, made her miss Chaewon even more.

She was sounding like an annoying teenager after a breakup and she hated it.

However, that wasn’t the reason why she thought her day sucked. Minjoo had actually left the house to try to take some nice pictures, hoping it would be enough to distract her, but she was welcomed only by a dead looking park and rain – a heavy one, to be more specific. She had to run for cover, holding her precious camera for dear life, only to realize later on that she had dropped her phone on the way there – _great_ , now not only she missed Chaewon like crazy, she was also sharing some of her bad luck. Like this, Minjoo had to buy a cheap umbrella in a convenience store, and try to track back her own steps to look for the phone, hoping it would still work when she found it.

She was cold and tired when she made her way back home with a drenched phone in hand – it seemed to be still working, miraculously, maybe the only sign she wasn’t as unlucky as Chae – and her umbrella barely covering her from the heavy rain that was quickly turning into a storm.

The moon was high in the sky now, her steps quickly leading her to her house, hoping she wouldn’t have to deal with a thunderstorm now – her steps stopped as soon as she noticed a figure seating at the sidewalk, hugging herself under an umbrella that could barely stand the wind.

 **“Chaewon?”** She called, her voice getting carried away by the wind as she stood a few meters away from the brunette.

It took her a moment, but Chae eventually lifted her head, a worried look in her eyes as she finally noticed Minjoo. She stood up quickly, her umbrella waving precariously in her hands, as she made her way to the girl. **“Minjoo! I tried to talk to you, but you wouldn’t answer, and then I came here and you weren’t home and…”** She started, her words rushed as her gaze took in every detail of the younger Kim, looking for anything off. **“I…I was worried.”**

It was more than just worry. Chaewon was done with her test the morning after she spoke with Hyewon, barely able to focus on it – in no moment she could stop thinking about everything that was happening, and especially about Minjoo. She was still afraid of making the wrong decision, of hurting herself and Min even when she was trying her best, afraid there was no way she could win against this curse…Still, no matter how hard she thought, she couldn’t deny Hyewon was right. Chae tried her best to not be selfish, but in the end she was – she didn’t allow Minjoo to make her own decisions on it, to choose whether or not she wanted to stay and face the risks. It wasn’t only about her and she wasn’t being fair to act like it was.

Chaewon was determined to speak to Minjoo, to open her heart and tell her everything now – but when she looked for her in the dorm, she was long gone, and when she texted her, all her messages were ignored. At first, she thought Minjoo was just, rightfully, mad at her and she had decided to be the one keeping her distance now. But as the day went by, a new, uncomfortable feeling made itself present in her chest. The pain wasn’t a strong one, a discomfort that made her chest tight every once in a while, weak but always there.

She wasn’t sure if it was her own heart or Minjoo’s, but she couldn’t stay still and before she knew it, she was walking all the way to her house. Needless to say, her heart sank on her chest when she found an empty house and Minjoo was nowhere to be seen. She kept texting and trying to call her, to no result. Sitting in front of the house, attracting the passerby suspicious looks and getting hit by the merciless rain, she just stood there and prayed nothing bad had happened to her girl.

Seeing Minjoo now, safe and sound, even if she looked a little paler than normal, was enough to make her want to hug her forever – she would have, if the taller girl’s look wasn’t so unreadable at the moment.

 **“Are you okay? The storm…”** Chaewon asked tentatively, ignoring the wind blowing her bangs out of her face and the rain right into it – she was too worried about Min’s silence to mind it now.

Minjoo sighed and averted her gaze from the girl, her chest suddenly hot and heavy. All she wanted was Chaewon there with her and now that her girlfriend was in front of her, looking like a wet tiger cub in the rain, with those big chestnut eyes so full of concern, it was almost impossible to not involve her in the tightest hug and never let go. Still, she didn’t want Chaewon to be there for the wrong reasons, she wouldn’t be able to handle it if the brunette had come just to check on her due to some stupid sense of responsibility.

 **“I don’t really care about thunderstorms anymore.”** Reaching out, she grabbed Chae by the hand, pulling her behind as she unlocked the gate and allowed them in, heading to her house. She didn’t say a thing as she dragged Chae to her room, leaving wet shoes and umbrellas behind, turning on the lights to have a better view at her – as expected, she looked even more like a lost cub now, with her forehead wounds still not completely healed and hair disheveled. Minjoo could only sigh heavily before throwing a warm hoodie to her.

 **“Change your clothes, you’ll get a cold like this.”** She said in her best nonchalant tone, turning away from Chaewon to look for a new change of clothes for herself – the umbrella could only protect her so much, and her clothes were damp from the rain, urging her to slip into something warmer.

 **“I’m okay. I just lost my phone and had to go all the way back to look for it, took me a while to find it and I’m not sure if it’s working well.”** She explained – more because she hated the weight of Chae’s concerned gaze over than because she really owned her an explanation –, before heading to the bathroom to get change. Usually she wouldn’t be shy to change in front of Chae, but right now there was an awkward, heavy air between the two of them and she was struggling to keep everything she wanted to say inside, afraid she would break down if she did so when she was still cold to the bone.

 **“Oh, I’m…I’m glad you’re fine.”** The older muttered as Minjoo left. Chaewon was relieved that all her worrying was for nothing, but still, seeing the look in the younger girl’s eyes made her think Min wasn’t telling her the whole truth – or perhaps, it was just her fault. Her chest became a little tighter with guilt. She needed to do it.

Taking off her damp sweater and putting it back on her always reliable backpack, she wore Min’s soft cream-colored hoodie instead – warmth and vanilla filling her senses, almost like her girlfriend’s hugs used to. She sat at the edge of the bed, her eyes darting around as she waited. 

Minjoo didn’t take long to come back.

She had slipped into her comfortable sleeping clothes – black shorts and a long-sleeved white shirt, the heater was on now and her room was warm enough for her to not bother get herself a hoodie. The nervous energy was still in her as she made her way back to the room, finding a small looking Chaewon waiting for her with a conflicted look – maybe she wasn’t the only one nervous here.

Slowly, she walked up to the older brunette, trying to keep her expression neutral as she stopped in front of her. **“Did you come here just because you were worried?”**

Chaewon shook her head slightly, her chestnut eyes looking for the much darker ones as she fidgeted with her fingers. **“No. I was worried indeed, but it wasn’t the only reason.”**

Nodding, Minjoo felt a small wave of relief, a hint of hope in her words as she asked. **“Then why?”**

 **“I miss you and I miss being with you.”** It was easy to admit when Minjoo was so close she only had to lift her hand to touch her – she didn’t, respecting her space. She wanted Min’s decision to be sincere to her feelings and not manipulated by anything else. **“I want to be honest with you, apologize and explain everything.”** She said firmly, giving her a tentative smile that was more nervous than confident. Was she even ready to do it? Was she ready to face whatever decision Minjoo reached after she told her the truth?

Her thought process was interrupted by Minjoo’s gentle touch, the girl brushing her bangs away from her eyes, fixing her hair. There was care and affection in the touch, emotions that matched the usual look in the chocolate eyes, albeit it wasn’t quite there yet. **“Are you going to tell me why your scar changed and why you’ve been avoiding me?”**

The older nodded slowly, the soft touch distracting her from the task – it wasn’t big deal, her fingers barely brushing against her forehead, but there was so much fondness in this simple action that it was hard to not just close her eyes and enjoy this little moment. Blinking, she tried to start. **“You know I was born with this thing and I always thought I couldn’t get rid of it…Until the day I met this girl and she told me that if I-”**

 **“If you broke the heart of someone who really loved you, it would be gone forever.”** Minjoo complemented before she had the chance, her expression calm as she continued to comb Chaewon’s hair softly with her fingers. She knew it, all of it, since the very beginning. Still, it never stopped her from trying to be by Chae’s side.

Chae’s eyes grew wide in surprise, her mouth agape to ask how Minjoo knew about it, but she ended up sighing. Of course. **“Hyewon.”** Chaewon muttered to herself, knowing Minjoo probably had got the information from the older girl. **“How do you know her?”**

 **“I told you I have an older sister**. **”** Minjoo replied with a small smile, watching as Chaewon squinted her eyes slightly, taking in the new information. If anything, she knew all too well about birthmarks and everything it comes with, having watched her own sister having to deal with it before – however, Chaewon was very different from Hyewon, in many ways. Both girls were born with marks, but the way the had decided to face life couldn’t be any more different. **“Chaewon, I knew it from the start. Even before we met at the movies that night.”**

Part of Chaewon was relieved, her shoulders lighter now that she knew Minjoo had decided to stick with her even though she knew about it all along. It made sense, from the start Minjoo never seemed to mind her scar, she was always so understanding of her situation and the insecurities and fears that came with it, always ready to stand up for her…Minjoo had chosen her regardless of it all. **“But…You know what happened between Hyewon and her girlfriend.”** Reaching out, she took Minjoo’s hand in hers, a serious look in her eyes as she inspected the younger girl’s chocolate brown ones. **“Why would you risk it? We could’ve just remained friends and you would be safe.”**

Minjoo’s smile only grew, her hand squeezing Chae’s lightly, a glint in her eyes. **“Have you forgotten about the part where I fell for you at first sight?”** Her question had a playful tone to it, but she didn’t proceed until the brunette nodded in understanding. **“I was looking for you and I was glad to find you. So glad that you were just like what I remembered, that you were the only one I wanted.”** She stopped caressing her hair to cup her face instead. **“I was never worried you would use me because I knew you wouldn’t.”**

Chaewon’s frown disappeared as a gentle kiss was placed on her forehead, finally allowing her to relax and do what she wanted ever since she saw Minjoo that morning. Her arms came to hug her girl by the waist, tightly, head resting against her stomach. She had so many questions on her mind, but right now all she wanted was to keep Minjoo close. **“I’m sorry for hurting you again, I tried to push you away thinking it was for the best, but only now I realize it only made things worse.”** Warm tears burned her eyes as she felt Minjoo hugging her back. She knew Min had forgiven her – her touch and gaze were enough for her to know **. “I just got so overwhelmed and scared when I saw it starting to disappear. I was afraid something would happen to you if I stick around…I still am.”** Her hands tugged on Minjoo’s shirt, her words muffled. Coming here was both a selfless and selfish decision, there was no way she could promise Minjoo to never hurt her again, still staying away hurt them both too. In the ending, it was all about taking the risk. **“But I don’t want to lose you.”**

 **“Then don’t. I won’t go anywhere unless you want me to.”** Minjoo replied softly, her hands caressing Chaewon’s back, slowly comforting her. Just having her there was enough to untie the knots in her throat, making it easier to breathe.

Even Hyewon was skeptical when she told her she had met Chaewon again and fell in love with her for the second time, her sister even warned her about the risks it could have and how hard it would be for both of them, but not even once she doubted Chae. It may be naïve of her, but she just knew, right from the start that Chaewon would never break her heart, that she would never do such a thing to anyone she loved – now she could feel her love in every word and on her tight embrace, just like she had felt it many times before when they were together and even through her awkward text messages. This love was the one thing that could protect them and she would cling to it until the end.

Cupping Chaewon’s face between her hands, she made her look up to meet her gaze, the chestnut eyes sparkling with tears. **“You didn’t hurt me, if anything the people who mistreat you hurt us both. Yes, it hurt when you pushed me away, but I always knew you were trying to protect me, so you didn’t break my heart. If you did, you would have lost another line, wouldn’t you?”** Her thumb brushed lightly against the two lines that were still marking Chaewon’s face, the tiny scars that were even harder to spot now. Maybe Chae would have missed another line if she hadn’t come today, maybe even both if she decided to ignore Minjoo for good and break them apart – but it was Chaewon and she knew she would come back to her. **“Just stay with me. It’s okay if I get my heart broken for you, as long as you’re there to fix it again.”**

The older girl wished she could promise her she wouldn’t ever bring her harm – consciously or not –, but she couldn’t. For as long as she carried that mark, people would still look down on her and luck wouldn’t be by her side, getting hurt was inevitable and their shared connection meant Minjoo would also feel some of her pain. All Chaewon could do was being there for her always. **“I don’t plan on getting rid of this scar, so I won’t ever leave you alone again.”** Chaewon promised, holding her gaze for moment before standing up to properly hug her this time. **“I love you, Min. I’m sorry for taking so long to come to my senses.”**

Chaewon’s lips come to meet her cheeks, right in the point where Minjoo’s dimples were shown now that she was smiling. The younger hugged her tightly, turning her face to try to steal a kiss – she missed her so much and all she wanted now was to make up for their lost time; thankfully, Chaewon was thinking the same, and when their lips met, it was more of just a peck, but a long, profound kiss with all their longing and love put on it.

Now Minjoo could feel her chest light, warmth spreading through her body as the mint scent of Chaewon’s perfume slowly surrounded her in the safety of her embrace. The kiss ended with gentle pecks, Chae’s nose slightly bumping into hers and bring a smile to face.

 **“I love you too, Chae.”** She whispered softly, kissing the little scar above her upper lip like it seemed to be a tradition for them now.

The smile Chaewon gave her in return was worth all her love, it was genuine and fond, making her light brown eyes glint with affection. **“I love you. I will repeat it many times, to make up for all the time I didn’t say it.”**

 **“Then you might as well make up for the rest. You owe me a lot of cuddles.”** Minjoo was quick to add, pulling her to the bed so she could hug her better, cuddling her girlfriend just like she wished for earlier – Chaewon still felt like her safe haven and she knew it wouldn’t ever change. **“I will make sure to get every single one of them.”**

 **“I will make sure you get plenty of spare ones.”** Her reply came with a soft chuckle as Chaewon snuggled up to her, involving her in a loving embrace.

Minjoo was wrong about it earlier, that day wasn’t bad at all.

* * *

Later that night, after getting all the cuddling – and kissing – she missed, Minjoo found herself comfortably seating in between Chaewon’s legs as they watched a movie in her laptop. It was so comfortable that she was almost asleep now, her head resting against Chae’s shoulder, breathing in her scent and feeling all her warmth – she was genuinely happy now. Albeit, Chaewon still seem to have something in her mind.

The brunette hugged Minjoo closer to her chest using one arm around her waist, but her other hand was busy caressing the skin of Min’s right knee, tracing the scar on top of it with feather like touches – Minjoo breathed out, knowing what was going through her head.

 **“It’s not a birthmark.”** She commented quietly, waiting for Chaewon to voice her thoughts.

Chae nodded slowly, she already knew it, she also knew the origin of the scar now. **“You said you were looking for me even before that night…You were the little girl I found that winter, weren’t you?”** Her voice was soft as she asked, a little distant as she tried to recall the events of an afternoon over ten years ago. For Chaewon that event seemed almost unreal, one of the rare occasions she met both good and bad people, one that left her with bittersweet memories. **“Hyewon disappeared after that day too…You all left, now I can understand why.”**

It was the younger brunette’s turn to nod. **“Yes. We were there for winter break, but nothing went as we had planned…”** Minjoo trailed off, her mind focusing on the same memory as Chaewon, although it was much clear for her.

_There was snow everywhere. More snow than Minjoo had ever seen in her nine years of life, and at first, she loved it – not so much now._

_She was a bubbly and friendly kid, although a little bit shy at first, she had her fair share of friends back home. Spending a whole month without anyone other than her older sister to play seemed pretty boring, even if she loved Hyewon the best, the girl wasn’t really into making snowmen and playing tag in the snow. Therefore, when one of the neighbors told her mother to enroll her in an activities club for ‘young ladies’, she tried her best to fit in with the new kids and make some friends._

_She regretted it now._

_Some of the older girls insisted on playing in the woods behind the rented cabins, what was exciting at first, but got pretty scary quickly. Minjoo didn’t know the way around there, all the trees looking exactly the same and after the group separate to play hide and seek – in which she was the one in charge of seeking –, she was feeling more and more lost as she wandered around trying her best to not get too far away from the starting point, but it was hard to not do it when she couldn’t find anyone._

**_“Minah? Jin? Everyone please, I give up!”_ ** _She called after ten minutes of it, feeling cold and a bit annoyed by their antics – she could hear muffled laugh, but there was no one in sight._ **_“Jin! Minah! Come out, I don’t want to play anymore!”_ ** _Once more her calls were answered by nothing, but the sounds of the wind carrying their snickering. Minjoo wasn’t a fool, she liked to try to see the best in people, but it would be dumb of her to not notice she was being pranked._

_She shouldn’t have trusted Jin, the older girl had a smirk on her face when she suggested the game and appointed Minjoo as the chaser when she was the only know who didn’t know the place. Heaving a small sigh, she tried to keep a positive attitude and trace back her steps to the cabin – it didn’t take her long to notice it wouldn’t be as easy._

_Everything looked the same, no matter where she looked at._

_It had started to snow again, the white rain covering her tracks and making it harder for her to see. Minjoo had to take several heavy breaths to calm herself down, remembering her parents’ advice to always stay calm in this kind of situation. It would be fine, the other kids couldn’t be far and her parents would notice she was missing soon, even if she couldn’t find the way back someone would come to rescue her…In theory, it was all fine, but reality was that she could feel her hands shaking, anxiety making her breath hard as she took small, careful steps, trying to find the way back._

_Damned be Jin and the other children, she would rather stay at home playing alone or begging Hyewon to join her, than to play with them again._

_She was fidgeting with her fingers, squinting her eyes to see beyond the white curtain of snow, when she felt her feet step in something different – only took her a millisecond to realize she had gotten herself in a much bigger problem, as the ground gave in under her feet, sending her down with a scream. Min tried to reach out for something to grab, but there was nothing, she landed at the bottom of the hole with her foot hitting hard the ground, sending her on her knees. She let out a yelp, feeling the pain radiate from both, her ankle and her right knee that received the most of her weight when her foot gave in._

_Hot tears filled her eyes as she looked up, seeing the grey winter sky above. The trap wasn’t very deep, maybe she would be able to jump and reach the edge of it, weren’t for the state her ankle was now. She wasn’t sure if the kids had purposely led her here or if it was just bad luck, but she was starting to feel genuinely scared, fear and panic prompting her to scream her lungs out even though she knew there wasn’t anyone around to save her._ **_“Help! Help! Please!”_ ** _She tried, as many times as her throat allowed her, curling into a ball on the ground, holding to her wounded leg, the tears streaming down her face the more time passed and no help appeared._ **_“Help! P-Please! M-Mom! Hye!”_ **

_There was no reply, only the sound of her sobs and the wind blowing. The snow slowly piling up on her shoulders, increasing the coldness as it was absorbed by her clothes. She was no longer mad at the other kids, she just wished for someone to save her._

_As if on cue, a head popped up in the edge of the hole, bright chestnut eyes looking at her with concern._ **_“Hey, I’m here now! Don’t cry, I will come down to rescue you, okay?”_ ** _She didn’t expect for a reply, disappearing for a moment only to appear in her line of vision shortly after, carefully climbing down the hole._

_Minjoo had stopped crying, blinking her eyes in awe, a mix of skepticism and pure relief filling her up as the girl took a place beside her._

**_“It will be okay. It’s not very deep, I can take us out. The old man, Yee, who lives down the street always tries to make traps for wild boars, but we don’t have boars here so it never caught anything…Until today.”_ ** _The girl, someone who was only a few inches taller than her, was thin and almost drowning inside all her winter clothing, but the one thing Minjoo noticed was her gentle smile as she reassured her. She seemed to be trying her best to calm her down._ **_“Are you hurt?”_ **

_The younger brunette looked at her in silence for a moment, her gaze falling over the point right above her lips where the skin stretched a bit in an unusual way, highlighting the three little white lines there – a birthmark. The girl must have noticed her stare, because she immediately looked down, kneeling on the ground to check her knee before Minjoo could say anything._ **_“This looks bad…I mean, n-not, not bad bad just…I-I will help you clean it up after we are out of here.”_ ** _She stuttered and Min could see the tips of her ears getting red – she was embarrassed, uncomfortable with her gaze, but still willing to help._

 _Somehow, her presence made Minjoo feel better, the pain on her leg was still there but it was easier to ignore it now that she wasn’t alone and hopeless._ **_“T-Thank you! Thank you for helping me!”_ ** _She said, using her hands to wipe away the tears of her face._ **_“What’s your name?”_ **

_The other girl looked surprised with the sudden question, lifting her gaze to meet hers for a brief moment._ **_“Chaewon.”_ ** _She replied quietly, before standing up to help her do the same._ **_“We need to move. I saw the woman on TV saying it would snow a lot today, it can get pretty hard to see.”_ ** _Chaewon explained, her hands gently helping Minjoo to keep her balance as the younger tried to not grimace due to the pain – she didn’t want to cry again, but her ankle was swollen and sensitive now._ **_“Just get on my back and you’ll be able to reach the edge, you can climb up if you grab onto the tree roots there.”_ ** _The older girl pointed the opposite side, showing Minjoo what she should do before she flexed her legs to allow her to get on her back._

_Chaewon didn’t look particularly strong, but her reassuring smile was enough to make Minjoo trust her words and try her best to do as she was told. Of course, it took them more than one try and she could hear Chaewon labored breath as she helped her to get out of the hole._

_Min let out a soft cry of pain as she sat down by the edge of the hole, glad to finally be free of the trap, but all too aware of the pain in her leg. Once more, she wiped a stubborn tear out of her face and focused on helping Chaewon instead – unexpectedly, the girl was having more difficult to climb up, the roots breaking under her grip. Unlucky – she hated that word. _

_Making sure to grab onto the tree’s trunk with one arm, she offered Chaewon the other for her to use as support to climb._ **_“Come on, Chaewon! I want to help you too!”_ **

_The older girl hesitated before accepting her hand, delicate fingers involving her palm – Minjoo noticed two things: first, they both had forgotten to wear gloves, and second, Chae’s hand fit right into hers, warmth radiating from it even in the cold weather. She opened her eyes a little wider, gripping firmly on Chaewon’s hand to help her up. One, two, three times until the older girl was able to fall beside her, free from the trap._

_For a moment they both just tried to catch their breath, her hand squeezing Chaewon’s lightly. It would get dark soon and it was still snowing, but she didn’t feel afraid anymore._

**_“I will take you to my house. It’s not far from here.”_ ** _Chaewon informed, standing up to help her to do the same again, holding her carefully to make sure she wouldn’t hurt herself more – gentle, reliable, trustworthy, caring…In such small gestures, Minjoo could tell so much about her already._ **_“You…Maybe, you can get on my back?”_ ** _Chae seemed unsure, trying to think in a way to help._ **_“I mean, yeah do it! I will carry you!”_ **

_Minjoo shook her head firmly, denying her suggestion._ **_“I don’t want you to get hurt too!”_ ** _Stubbornly, she clung to Chaewon’s shoulder for support instead._ **_“I can do it, just…Just go slowly.”_ ** _The last part was added in a small, embarrassed voice. She didn’t want to harm her savior, but in the moment the pain in her leg starts to kick in, she may not be able to refuse a piggyback ride._

 _Chae’s chestnut eyes sparkled with unsureness, before she nodded, gingerly hugging her by the waist and helping her to support herself._ **_“Okay. Slowly.”_ ** _One tentative step – a small yelp of pain from Minjoo –, another two steps – muffled exclamations of pain –, a couple more – Minjoo was sweating in the cold weather, holding back tears as she stubbornly moved forward._

_Chaewon stopped, letting go of her and nearly making her lose balance. The girl just took the front, flexing her knees and gesturing for Minjoo to hop on her back already – of course she tried to refuse, but Chae turned around to grab her hands, pulling her closer to hug her by the neck, leaving her no choice but to accept the offer._

**_“I’m sorry, Chaewon.”_ ** _She said in the ending, now on Chae’s back as the girl took very slow, laborious steps._

_It wasn’t pretty or magical like the dramas she had seen on TV, it was bouncy and once in a while Chaewon would step in the wrong thing and they nearly fall a bunch of times, the older girl wasn’t strong and it was easy to tell how much it was taking from her to keep going. Still, she never said a thing, never stopped, the only sound that could be heard was Minjoo’s soft “I’m sorry” every once in a while._

_Hugging her by the neck, she did her best to not hurt hear by holding on too tight, resting her head on Chaewon’s shoulder and trying to see what was ahead – she couldn’t, only white snow covering everything, but she could feel the gentle fragrance of mint and strawberry, and it took her a minute to realize it came from Chaewon. It was weird, she didn’t like mint at all, still, the scent seemed so much better than the smell of her mom’s perfumes now._ **_“Sorry, Chae. Thank you.”_ ** _She repeated again, her small hand caressing her shoulder, trying to bring her any comfort._

 **_“We….We are…Almost there.”_ ** _Was Chaewon’s reply, panting evidently as her steps got ever slower. Carrying Minjoo wasn’t an easy task, but she ignored every request to put the younger down._ **_“There.”_ **

_A house could be seen now, the wood structure partially covered by the snow, it was nice and welcoming and the sight seem to give Chaewon a new boost of motivation, making them reach the place quicker._

_Chae barely catch her breath, leaving her at the upholstered seat under the covered porch in the back of the house._ **_“I will get something to clean your wounds, wait here.”_ **

_And she indeed did it, coming back with a first aid kit that she seemed used to need, skillfully applying ointment to her swollen ankle before moving to clean up her knee – the younger tried her best to bit down on her bottom lip and not show any signs of pain, but there’s only so much you can expect from a 9 year old and Minjoo had tried way too hard today._

**_“I’m sorry, it won’t hurt soon.”_ ** _Chaewon said noticing the tears in Minjoo’s eyes, she gave her a small, unsure smile._ **_“I did my best for it to not leave a scar, but even if it does, you can just keep it covered so no one sees it.”_ ** _The reassurance wasn’t needed – Minjoo didn’t care about the scar, she just wanted the pain gone._

_Years later she would understand that Chaewon may have thought she was afraid of what people may think of her for having a scar, even if it wasn’t on her face, the kind of thinking born from her own experiences with prejudice._

_Forcing a smile, she nodded._ **_“Thank you. I was afraid no one would come…”_ ** _Her lips_ _quivered_ _at the thought, she would still be in pain in that hole if Chaewon hadn’t appeared._ **_“I’m sorry for giving you so much trouble.”_ **

**_“Don’t say that, I heard you and I couldn’t just leave you there_ ** _.” Chaewon averted her gaze, lowering her head in embarrassment – for some reason Minjoo found it endearing. There, by the porch it was still pretty cold, but she felt warmth._

 _Shaking her head slightly, she reaffirmed._ **_“Thank you, Chae. I guess my sister is right when she says people with scars are the kindest.”_ ** _It was usually just her sister trying to brag, but she could see it now._

 _Chae seemed to get even more embarrassed, siting beside her and fidgeting with her fingers._ **_“I should get you a phone so we can call your parents. Just wa-”_ **

**_“Yo, weirdo! What are you doing with her?”_ ** _Jin’s voice sounded, making Minjoo look at their direction with wide eyes. Why did the girl look so furious now? There was something in her eyes that made Minjoo wince, but it was directed to Chaewon, not her – despise, the same look Hyewon often got at school and just like she would do to her sister, she tried to stand up for her new friend._

 **_“You are the weirdo! Why did you leave me there?”_ ** _She counterattacked, her gentle nature giving place to her protective and angry side – she may be a nice kid, but she was definitely not allowing that girl to bully her or Chaewon again._

 _She would’ve probably have had a heated argument with the girl, wasn’t for the appearance of an adult – Jin’s mother –, who looked from her to Chaewon with a disapproval look._ **_“Jin made a mistake earlier and I apologize, I will take your back to your parents. They’re worried for you.”_ ** _The woman climbed the short row of steps, coming to her side and taking her in her arms before she could protest – Chaewon was pushed aside, the woman not minding the mess she made by knocking down the small table where the first aid kit was placed, rushing down the stairs with Minjoo._

 **_“Ma’am, no! Let me down!”_ ** _She tried to argue, moving her arms to break free of her grip._ **_“I didn’t say goodbye to Chae!”_ **

**_“And you shouldn’t say anything to kids like her! You shouldn’t meddle with such people, kid, understand?”_ ** _The woman gave her a cold look, tighten her grip around her, and forcing her to not move. The older woman’s steps took her to far away from Chaewon’s house, back to the white labyrinth of snow._

 _Tears were back to Minjoo’s eyes now, of frustration and anger making this time_ **_. “You’re the bad person not her!”_ ** _She replied, receiving a furious look in return – she would have probably received a slap on the face, weren’t the sound of Hyewon’s voice._

_Things went pretty badly after that. Her parents coming to get her and the older woman being downright hostile to Hyewon and now to Minjoo too. Her parents had a pretty bad argument with the woman and the others who supported her, but it never escalated as much as it could since they still had to take Minjoo to the hospital to check on her wounds._

**“My parents didn’t want to stay at a place that treated people like that, so we left the next morning.”** Minjoo wrapped up the story, a bittersweet taste in her mouth as she remembered the events – she would always be glad for meeting Chaewon, but the circumstances weren’t the best. **“I always regretted not having told you my name and not coming back there. My ankle was actually fractured and I couldn’t convince Hyewon to take me back there the next morning. My parents didn’t want to come back, so I could only look for you using the internet, but I never found anything.”**

Chaewon nodded slowly. She could recall the cute little girl with big brown eyes and warm hands, the little girl who tried so hard to be brave and endure the pain, the only kid who didn’t seem bothered by her scar – of course it had to be Minjoo. She had thought Min was familiar before, but it was such a big coincidence that it was hard to believe – or perhaps it was part of fate, maybe the gods didn’t hate her so much. **“I was alone most of the time back then, except for my parents, I didn’t have much contact with the other kids. So, I would go out on my own to explore and see if I could spot any animals. To be honest, I was a little scared of checking when I heard you, afraid it would be one of those kids trying to mess with me…I’m glad I did.”** She hugged Minjoo better, leaving a kiss on the little mole on her neck.

 **“My parents scolded me for being so reckless, but I didn’t regret it. I even tried to check if you were in one of the rented cabins nearby, but you, just like Hyewon, were gone...”** She remembered worrying about that kid for days, wondering about what happened to her and if she ever would see her again. With time, as other people rented the cabin and she never saw the little girl again, she had accepted they were never meant to be friends, their meeting was just a happy coincidence. **“I never thought I would meet you again.”**

 **“I’m stubborn, you know? I couldn’t give up so easily.”** Minjoo remarked with a smirk, turning to face her girlfriend. Looking for Chae had become her personal project back then, pestering Hyewon to get any information – and failing –, checking social media and even looking for her face on the streets even though she was back home now…With time she understood the chances were very small, but she still couldn’t help but look for her whenever she thought she had spotted someone similar, or she heard her name, silent praying she would bump into her someday. And she had, ironically with the help of a friend she had never said a thing about Chaewon – at least not until after their date when she had to thank Yuri for that.

Over ten years ago, without realizing, she had fallen for this girl. Minjoo had seen something special in the chestnut eyes that were so determined to help her, in the gentle touches and the determined steps – Chaewon didn’t look like the heroes in the books, some may even place her in the villain category due to the scar, still she was more noble and kind than anyone else Min had ever met. More than this, right from the start she had felt a connection, something her young mind wasn’t able to explain back then.

Chaewon had changed since that first day, still she would be able to recognize her anywhere. She had met several people growing up, but not one ever left such an impression on her, and now she knew she had made the right decision choosing Chae. **“Even if you didn’t remember me.”** She teased, winning a shy smile in return.

Pecking her lips in a silent apology, Chae looked into the onyx-like eyes that reflected Minjoo’s feelings so well. **“Thank you, for not giving up…And for pestering me so much.”** She added the last part in a playful tone, stealing another kiss before Min could protest. Thanks to Minjoo’s insistence, they were together now and she would have to thank her for the rest of their lives. **“I’m happy we found each other and you chose me.”**

That afternoon years ago, that night at the movies and that morning in class. All the times fate decided to bring them together and they accept the gifted – first through her decision, then Minjoo’s and finally from the two of them. She had almost ruined it, but from now on she would make sure it wouldn’t ever happen again.

How ironic, she always claimed to be unlucky, when in fact all her luck took form in Minjoo’s very own presence in her life.

Minjoo shook her head slightly, her eyes smiling as she kissed softly the little scar that played such a big part in their relation – for the good or bad. There was still a long way to go, one they had barely started, but she was sure she wouldn’t ever change her mind about. Not when Chaewon was with her.

She had searched for something like this for years, her failed dates with other people were the only result she ever got from it. Having found Chaewon again was no coincidence, and if anything, knowing she was able to help to erase her scar, proved they were more than just a mistake of fate. She didn’t know if she believed on Hyewon’s theory about soulmates and marks, but maybe Hye was right this time – at least regarding them.

**“I’m happy you chose us.”**


	6. Epilogue: Reaching Us.

Chaewon sipped on her hot chocolate, resting her arms on the balustrade, eyes into the distance as she watched the ice blue lake surrounded by snow. It was cold, but she still felt warm – extra warm now actually.

Familiar arms hugged her by the waist, vanilla scent filling her lungs as Minjoo rested her chin on her shoulder. Chae smiled, resting her left hand on hers, fingers tracing the golden ring on her finger, feeling the little details engraved on the surface of it – their initials. Her smile grew into a foolish grin as she took her hand, lifting it to her lips to leave a kiss on the wedding ring.

 **“Good morning, Min.”** She greeted softly, turning her head slightly to meet her gaze – bright dark chocolate orbs greeted her back, a smile on her eyes that were so full of love and happiness. Chaewon’s heart grew a little bigger with the view that was so much prettier than the ancient city they were visiting for their honeymoon. **“It’s freaking cold, you should be inside! Why did you pick this place again?”**

Minjoo only laughed at her words, hugging her a little tighter. It was indeed cold and she would have to run back inside soon if she didn’t want to catch a cold, but for now Chaewon’s warmth was enough for her. **“Winter has always been our season and I just love how peacefully beautiful this place is.”** She explained, glancing at the city below, orange roofs painted white by the snow. It calmed her, bringing only the good memories of their first meeting. **“Also, having more excuses to cuddle gives it some extra points!”**

It was Chaewon’s time to chuckle, leaving the mug aside to give her wife a proper hug. For her it really didn’t matter whether they were in a tropical paradise or at this cold city, she was just happy to have Minjoo with her – this time for good.

They were together for over seven years now, time enough to know almost everything about each other, to learn about their weakness and strengths, and to learn to love each other’s qualities and flaws, to be there through the good and bad times.

Chae still had to deal with her ‘clumsiness’ – she tried her best to avoid the ‘unlucky’ word now and it somehow made she feel better about it –, and some people still looked down on her for bearing a scar, however, having Min by her side made deal with it a little easier. Of course, Minjoo also had to face her fair share of problems, after all, isn’t life like this to everyone? Still, Chaewon made sure to provide her with the same support, which always included all the hugs, kisses and loving words that were just the right combination to heal her wounds.

 **“We’re married now, it’s pretty much my job to give you all the affection you need, whenever you want it.”** Chaewon reminded, leaving a kiss on her lips to emphasize her words. If once she feared people’s opinions and how it could affect them, through the years she had learned that showing her love and care was the best thing she could do for the two of them and she wouldn’t let anyone stop her from doing so. **“At least until we go back home and I have to deal with Yena calling me at random times because she found another bug in our game and the company is about to go under.”** She sighed, but her tone was playful.

Working with her best friend was great, Yena deals with all the annoying clients, while Chaewon just takes care of the programing. They were still a small company, but the prospects were good and she was optimistic Yena wouldn’t make them go bankrupt in two weeks – she would check on her often, just in case. **“And you will have to deal with Hyewon sending cryptic messages about her mystery girl.”** Minjoo’s sister was still an enigma to Chaewon, the woman would travel around the word, looking for the girl she insisted was her soulmate, while recording food vlogs.

 **“I will remember those words. And you know I have a great memory!”** She would make sure to claim all the affection she could get, albeit she was pretty sure Chaewon wouldn’t mind giving it. **“Don’t worry about it, Yuri is there to keep an eye on Yena, and Hye…Is Hye, I guess she won’t ever stop, you know, being stubborn runs in the family.”** Minjoo shook her head slightly, thinking about the last text she got from her sister – who was somewhere in Asia at the moment –, Hyewon never told her much, and all she could do was to wish her luck. **“We can always live as traveling photographers if they get too annoying**.” Minjoo winked at her wife, muffling her chuckle with a sweet kiss.

As a photographer, she wouldn’t mind having her wife with her all the time, always visiting a new place, but she would have to content herself by doing it during this trip since once she was back home she would also have to take care of her own business – for now, however, she would rather to not think about it.

Deepening the kiss, she hugged Chae a little tighter, letting herself sink into the comfort of her embrace. Her heart skipped happily inside her chest – as always, it wanted to meet Chae’s and she didn’t mind allowing it to go. Warmth slowly spreading through her chest, making it light, only mint and strawberry filling her senses. It was such a familiar feeling now, but she would never tired of it.

Breaking the kiss, she rested her forehead on Chaewon’s, giving her a small, fond smile. **“I love you.”** She said softly, receiving another, shorter, kiss in return.

 **“I love you too, Min.”** Chaewon was smiling too, a small curve on her lips, making the single line on top of it more evident.

At some point along the years she had lost the second line of the scar, it was at the time Chaewon was trying her best to get a job at a good company to develop her projects. She went to so many interviews, receiving all sort of job proposals thanks to her good grades and past works as an independent developer – only to get rejected as soon as they noticed the scar on her face. Seeing her girl try her best to deal with all the rejections keeping a smile on her face, slowly broke Minjoo’s heart, resulting in another missing part of the mark. Chaewon cried when she noticed it, guilty and worried, but this time she didn’t try to push her away, bringing her closer, allowing them to comfort each other.

Those were hard times, but things got better and Minjoo hoped it was for good.

Brushing her lips on the little scar that was barely visible now, she kissed her once more before asking **. “Do you think it will ever disappear completely?”**

Chaewon thought about the times when it was all she wanted, like she used to think it could change it all for the best – now it seemed just so foolish of her. Shaking her head in a negative, she stepped back, grabbing her wife by the hand to lead them back inside. **“I hope it doesn’t.”**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that’s the ending. It was never meant as a soulmate AU, although it became something implicit in the story as I wrote, so I decided to keep it like this. This was a quick story, so I didn’t really focus on the lore much, although writing it was fun.
> 
> I’m sorry about any mistakes and if it just turned out clumsy. I hope you guys enjoyed this little story anyway.
> 
> Thanks for reading ‘To Reach You’ :)

**Author's Note:**

> Hello there! I can’t believe it took me over two months to get this out, but well, it’s here now! Please keep in mind I wrote is as an OS, so the format will be a little different. Even though I’m posting it in chapters here, I’m only doing it to make the reading and my own (bad) proofreading work easier. There will be around 5 chapters, and I will update every 2 days, so it will be a quick story, so please let me know what you think ;)
> 
> As usual, thank you a lot for reading and I’m very sorry about any mistakes. See you soon!


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